[May 1, 2009] Libraries, museums, archives, and arts and historic preservation organizations across the nation will set aside May 1, 2009, to participate in MayDay, a national effort to prepare for disasters. To commemorate MayDay 2009, Protecting the Past - RI is launching dPlan-RI, an online disaster planning and recovery template for use by libraries, museums, historical and preservation societies, and other state cultural heritage holders. Training to use dPlan-RI is FREE to qualified organizations and will be offered on May 1 and throughout May and in June. You can learn more and register for training by visiting the Protecting the Past - RI website.

The “Protecting the Past - RI” project was developed to adapt “dPlan™: the Online Disaster Planning Tool” (cq) for use in RI’s unique built and natural environments; to encourage the State’s cultural heritage institutions to adopt dPlan™ as the State’s standard disaster planning tool; and to publicize the result of the planning process to state and local emergency management agencies, first responders and towns and municipalities.

A Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from many RI cultural heritage institutions, as well as RI Emergency Management Agency and the State Risk Manager, provided professional and regional expertise to adapt the online template to include data pertinent and specific to the needs of RI institutions and will insure its continuity for the future. Protecting the Past - RI was funded by a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Sponsored by Heritage Preservation www.heritagepreservation.org and other members of the Heritage Emergency National Task Force, national MayDay encourages organizations to take one simple step to protect the art, artifacts, records, and historic sites they hold in trust. dPlan - RI is a giant step for Rhode Island’s cultural heritage institutions.

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) created the MayDay initiative in 2006 and promoted the idea to its members and allied organizations. The following year, the Heritage Emergency National Task Force and SAA expanded the concept to include all kinds of collecting institutions and historic preservation interests. Heritage Preservation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States.