Ready — Or Not
Through the Ready – Or Not: Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project, the California State Library is preserving and protecting California’s rich cultural heritage by providing disaster preparedness assessments to cultural organizations across California.
If you want to join these organizations, please reach out to our partner, the Northeast Document Conservation Center, and request a free emergency preparedness assessment by filling out an online form, emailing CAready@nedcc.org, or calling 855-501-3020.
![A red barn with some tractors.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/AntelopeValleyRuralMuseum02_OG-1024x768.jpg)
![A white wall with art on it.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Chicano-Park-Museum-and-Cultural-Center-HE-1024x577.jpg)
![A desert landscape with sand and rocks.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Death-Valley-NPS-MAG-1024x768.jpg)
![A hut made of wooden sticks.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Chumash-Village-577x1024.jpg)
![A group of people posing for a photo in front of a wooden archway.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Clarke-Historical-Museum-577x1024.jpg)
![A person standing next to a sign that reads "Colonel Allensworth State History Park 1908 Centennial 2008 A California State Park".](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Colonel-Allensworth-SHP-MAG-768x1024.jpg)
![An adobe building made of wood and mud brick.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Fallbrook-adobe-house-768x1024.jpg)
![A person standing on the steps of a building with a sign overhead that reads "Japanese Cultural and Community Center".](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/japanese-cultural-center-768x1024.jpg)
![A white historic building with a tower in the woods.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/John-Muir-National-Historic-Site-MAG-762x1024.jpg)
![A group of people standing in front of a large exhibit.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Pioneers-Museum-Imperial-HE-1024x577.jpg)
![A large building with three balconies and doors.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/San-Diego-History-Center-HE-1024x577.jpg)
![Two stone buildings with a wooden fence and a stone wall.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/V-Day-TorHouse-CW.jpg)
![A stone statue of a girl reading in front of a building with a sign that reads "San Bruno Public Library".](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/SanBrunoPL_1_MU-768x1024.jpeg)
![A group of people, two sitting on a rock and two standing on the sides, in front of a brown and yellow pavilion.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/06/Santa-Ynez-Chumash-Museum-and-Cultural-Center@1000-768x1024.jpg)
![A group of five people standing in a forest.](https://www.library.ca.gov/uploads/2024/07/TTPC_Photo_OG-1024x768.jpg)
Organizations That Are Getting Ready
The “Ready — Or Not” project has an interactive map that shows which California organizations have had a site visit and assessment report. Below are the organizations that the “Ready — Or Not” team has visited.
Testimonials
Feedback from cultural heritage organizations that have received an assessment:
I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your valuable time and effort spent with our museum staff yesterday for the “Ready — Or Not” Cultural Heritage Disaster Preparedness Project. Your insights and expertise were truly enlightening and have significantly contributed to the success of our project. Your dedication to preserving and promoting cultural heritage is inspiring, and we are incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you. The knowledge and perspective you shared will undoubtedly help us in our ongoing efforts to safeguard our cultural heritage.
Museum Director of the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center, Ready — Or Not participant
The report offered a lot of guidance for writing a disaster plan and suggested key focus areas for the plan. Since the assessment, we have written a disaster plan, installed a security camera in the collections area, installed a new portable air conditioner in the primary storage area, and limited public access to collections areas. As the first archivist at my institution, the “Ready — Or Not” project supported me in advocating for enhanced disaster preparedness and better environmental conditions for our collections.
Ready — Or Not participant
Thank you so much for your time — it was an incredibly productive day for all of us. We were glad to hear of areas where we’re already on target for disaster/emergency planning, and energized to consider the next steps for upgrading our current preparations.
Ready — Or Not participant
We have already placed barriers between window blinds and collections facing direct sunlight. We have requested a carpenter to check for any shelving not tethered to the wall. Almost all items are now on pallets with risers, and we will soon be ordering bungee cords as well as RH and Temperature data loggers. The incident report notebook was a great idea, which we have retroactively instituted. This was a great experience for all of us.
Ready — Or Not participant