Online Course: Introduction to Preservation Planning
A Preservation Plan is an essential institutional document that helps collecting institutions thoughtfully chart a course for sustained collections care. In this online course, you will be introduced to preservation planning and will learn the steps necessary to write a Preservation Plan for your institution. You will come away with the following understandings:
- Why preservation planning is important for your institution
- How preservation planning can be done holistically and made scalable
- Components of an effective preservation plan
- How to assess and prioritize preservation needs
- How to design effective implementation strategies and establish realistic benchmarks, recognizing that this is a living document that must be continually updated
- How to advocate for preservation planning within your organization
This is an interactive course in which participants will learn foundational content, build their Preservation Plan, and receive feedback from instructors and peers. While we welcome anyone, this course is an especially good fit for anyone who is in the midst of writing their own Preservation Plan or interested in beginning the process.
Most course content can be completed at any time, but there will be several opportunities to meet live: an introductory session on Monday, October 5, as well as preservation planning writing workshop sessions at the end of each week (October 9, 16, and 23) will take place via Zoom meeting. One of the sessions will also include a panel discussion of case studies from staff at sites who have successfully implemented their own preservation plans. All live sessions will be from 2:00-3:00pm ET and will be recorded. Online course content will be available beginning Monday, October 5 at 9:30am ET and will be available for six weeks following the conclusion of the course.
This course addresses Goal #3—expanding access to education, professional development, and leadership opportunities—of the Education, Professional Development, and Leadership section of the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation’s 2023 Held in Trust report.
About our Instructors:
As Director of Preservation Services, Dyani Feige works with libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural organizations to conduct needs and risk assessments, assist in disaster planning, and help develop policy and planning documents for collections. She also develops and presents education programs on preservation and conservation concerns. Before joining the staff of CCAHA in 2010 as Preservation Specialist, Dyani worked in the Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives. She has also worked in the New York Public Library’s Preservation Division; for the Conference Board; and in the Special Collections & Archives at Kent State University. Dyani received her MS in Library and Information Science with a Certificate in Archives at Pratt Institute and her BM in Music Business from New York University.
In her position as Preservation Specialist, Katie Lowe consults on preventive care of all kinds and assists with preservation, storage, and emergency planning at cultural heritage organizations across the country. Katie has thirteen years of experience in museums, community programming, non-profit work, and education. She has held positions at The Holocaust Awareness Museum & Education Center, Pennsbury Manor, The Mercer Museum, The Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace, Old Salem Museum & Gardens, and The Mediation Center. She received her B.A. in History and Education from Ursinus College and her M.A. in History and Museum Studies from UNC Greensboro. She is currently Secretary of the American Association of State and Local History's Field Service Alliance, a member of the American Library Association's Preservation Outreach Committee, Acting Secretary for the board of the Museum Council of Greater Philadelphia, and a member of the American Institute for Conservation’s Emergency Committee.
As the Digital Archives Specialist, Kaitlyn Pettengill conducts digital preservation assessments and assists with digitization planning for collecting organizations. She advises organizations in the ongoing development, implementation, and operation of their digital preservation programs as well as on recommendations for the development and implementation of digital preservation strategies, technologies, and procedures. Prior to joining the CCAHA staff in 2024, Kaitlyn worked as the Digital Projects Coordinator for the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University and as the Digital Services Archivist at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Kaitlyn earned an MLIS from San José State University, where she specialized in Digital Collections and Digital Asset Management. She also holds an MA degree in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and a BA in Art History and English Literature from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA.