Recording now available: "When Disaster Strikes: Lessons Learned from Lahaina and Los Angeles"

WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT (free, online): "When Disaster Strikes: Lessons Learned from Lahaina and Los Angeles", ICOMOS-USA – World Heritage USA

"This year's theme for the 2025 International Day of Monuments and Sites is "Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage." To spotlight this important topic, World Heritage USA invites you to join us for an insightful webinar exploring the complex and urgent work of preserving historic structures and heritage sites in the wake of devastating wildfires.

This event will bring together preservation professionals from Lahaina, Hawaii and Los Angeles, California who will share their experiences and discuss the efforts taken to safeguard what remains of these historic communities after the recent wildfires.

During the webinar, we will highlight the resilience of these communities and provide preservation professionals, local stakeholders and the general public with the opportunity to learn about strategies that can be employed to protect our most cherished landmarks."

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Reposted from CISA/DHS

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Federal Bureau of Investigation and other US government (USG) partners published a fact sheet urging critical infrastructure entities with operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS) to implement five primary mitigations that will improve their cybersecurity posture and reduce risk to unsophisticated cyber threat activity. The authoring agencies also encourage critical infrastructure entities to regularly communicate with their third-party managed service providers, system integrators, and system manufacturers who may be able to provide system-specific configuration guidance.

In addition to this fact sheet, CISA and USG partners published an operational alert warning of unsophisticated cyber actor(s) targeting ICS/SCADA systems within U.S. critical Infrastructure sectors (Oil and Natural Gas), specifically in Energy and Transportation Systems. These actors often use basic and elementary intrusion techniques because they target organizations with poor cyber hygiene and exposed public facing devices. The presence of poor cyber hygiene and exposed assets can escalate these threats, leading to significant consequences such as defacement, configuration changes, operational disruptions and, in severe cases, physical damage.

CISA strongly urges critical infrastructure asset owners and operators to review the fact sheet, Primary Mitigations to Reduce Cyber Threats to Operational Technology, for detailed guidance on reducing the risk of potential intrusions.

Reposted from Connecting 2 Collections

Recording Now Available! C2C Care/MayDay 2025 Webinar "So Now What? Dealing with Materials After a Disaster"

The recordings, resources and presentations are now available for the C2C Care/MayDay 2025 Webinar "So Now What? Dealing with Materials After a Disaster"

Access those items here: https://connectingtocollections.org/event/so-now-what-disposal-of-materials-after-a-disaster

Recent disasters across the country have presented small and mid-sized institutions with the unique challenges of not only dealing with health and safety for people but how to deal with the collection materials. During this special May Day 2025 webinar, participants will: 

• Learn ways to protect volunteers, staff, and themselves 
• Find out ways to properly dispose of items in their community 
• Hear a case study from the 9/11 Memorial Museum for examples of health hazards associated with disaster response and recovered artifacts. 

Presenters

Brandy Howard, PE, CIH, CSP, is the Group Manager of Industrial Hygiene and Asbestos at Terracon’s Denver office. Brandy holds a BS in Engineering and a MS in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Brandy has been a consultant for over 15 years and works with clients in various industries to deliver cost-effective environmental, health, and safety solutions to support their operations. Brandy currently serves as the Vice Chair for the AIHA Museums and Cultural Heritage Industry Working Group and was a research partner on the Museum Poisons Test Kit project.

Tara Kennedy is the Head of Preventive Conservation at the Yale Library Center for Preservation and Conservation. She holds a MLIS and a certificate of advanced studies in Library and Archives Conservation from the University of Texas at Austin, an MS in Forensic Science from the University of New Haven, and a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Northwestern University. Before coming to Yale, she worked at the National Archives, the Smithsonian, and the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She is a Professional Associate with the American Institute of Conservation (AIC). She is an active member of the AIC National Heritage Responders, and former co-chair of the AIC Health and Safety Network. Outside of her preservation work, she is a volunteer for the Doe Network, the Online International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons.

Kerith Koss Schrager is an objects conservator and Head of Conservation at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Kerith specializes in occupational health and safety for cultural heritage workers and has degrees in both Environmental Health Sciences (2022) and Conservation (2007) from New York University. Prior to her current position, she was the owner of The Found Object Art Conservation, LLC and has also held positions with the Brooklyn Museum, Field Museum, and National Museum of Asian Art of the Smithsonian. Kerith also serves as adjunct faculty at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She is a Professional Associate member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and a former Chair of both their Health & Safety Network and Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP) Specialty Group.

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Reposted from Art Sentry

Modern artworks, like kinetic and immersive pieces, present unique security challenges. Traditional systems often trigger false alarms or fail to detect genuine threats. Art Sentry’s AI-powered technology interprets movement rather than reacting to it, providing seamless protection for unconventional installations.

In The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide for Museum Security, we explain how advanced monitoring adapts to dynamic collections without disrupting the visitor experience.

Discover how Art Sentry enhances protection for kinetic and immersive art.

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Reposted from Tim Richardson

If you see something, DO something

There are so many questions today after a Florida State University student killed two men and injured seven others on campus yesterday. I never imagined that the campus where my wife and I spent many classroom hours learning, researching, writing papers, and in my case teaching others as a graduate student, would make the news in this horrible way. When tragedies like this happen, I wonder what, if anything, could have been done to prevent them. Were there signs that the shooter was unstable or that he needed professional help? Did a friend or family member notice a recent behavior change? Was he experiencing an unusual amount of stress or anxiety? Anxiety related illnesses has skyrocketed since smartphones and social media use became popular – particularly among young people. There has been trend of rising anxiety and depression diagnoses among U.S. college undergraduates with the spread of smartphones (2010–2018). Anxiety climbed from ~10% to ~24% (a 134% increase since 2010), and depression rose ~106%. Source: American College Health Association.

Studies at Columbia University Department of Psychiatry have shown a clear link between heavy social media use and negative mental health outcomes like depression, anxiety, loneliness, and even suicidal ideation. While nothing has been reported about the shooter’s motive, this situation is yet another reminder that these terrible incidents aren’t going away. In fact, they are becoming more and more common. This is the 6th school shooting in Florida this year.

Of course, we don’t know all the reasons why these tragedies continue to occur. But we do know that stress, rapid rates of change, and smartphone and social media use are all affecting our mental health in a big way. Every form of anxiety is increasing and increasing dramatically. And it’s not just college students who are affected. Our workplaces employ people of all ages. Until yesterday, I had no awareness that April was Workplace Violence Month. Not only should awareness increase in April, but awareness also needs to be ongoing. Don’t get caught up in the idea that, “it can’t happen here.” Most organizational leaders probably didn’t sign up to be counselors, protectors, or referees in the workplace but it’s becoming increasingly clear that those skills are needed in today’s world. We all need to have more awareness. I would encourage leaders to learn more about what causes anxiety and mental illness and provide internal training and education. Make sure employees have options for counseling services and regularly remind your team that if they need a minute, or an hour, or a day, give them opportunities to pause and let them know it’s okay to struggle and that it is okay to ask for help. If you have a story, share it. We need to normalize and prioritize mental health issues in our schools, colleges, and the workplace. For several years, we have heard this: If you see something, say something. Sadly, yesterday proved again how important that statement has become. Today, I would add that if you see something, don’t just say something, do something too. You can start with prayers for the entire FSU community.

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Reposted from CISA/DHS

The National Threat Assessment Center Presents
First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks

Event Date: April 23, 2025

Event Time: 1:00-2:30 PM EST

The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) is pleased to announce a presentation on our latest publication, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks. Releasing on April 23, 2025, this behavioral case study examines the background and behavioral history of a gunman who killed 26 people, including his wife’s grandmother, and wounded an additional 22 others in an attack at a church in Texas. In this presentation, NTAC researchers will discuss this attacker’s long history of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual violence perpetrated against friends, family members, and others.

Registrants will be emailed a Microsoft Teams link prior to the event.

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Reposted from AMM

There’s a sea change underway in giving and volunteerism

In September, the Generosity Commission released a report on downward trends in giving and volunteerism, what is at stake for society when volunteers and givers stay home, and steps that community members, policymakers, and nonprofit leaders can take to alter that reality.

We’re excited to kick off this year’s conference with a virtual opening session featuring one of the co-chairs of the Generosity Commission and vice president of the Aspen Institute, Jane Wales. She’ll give us the big picture perspective and how the recommendations of the Commission might play out in a volatile year.

You can also join us as we carry the conversation forward to our in-person Leadership Breakfast, focused on how Quad Cities arts and culture organizations are adapting to these trends. They will share their observations, discuss how today’s political climate may have an impact, and how they are adapting to find stability despite the crosscurrents.

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Reposted from SafeHaven Security

Upcoming Trainings

Webinar | May 15 2:00pm CST
From Panic to Power: Developing a Mindset That Survives Danger

As an HR professional, you’re often the calm in the storm—navigating crises, managing workplace emergencies, and supporting others through high-stress situations. And thanks to social media and the legacy news media, fear is embedded and synonymous with our future.

This webinar is designed to help you strengthen your own mental resilience so you can lead with clarity and confidence when it counts. It will equip you with the tools to stay calm, think clearly, and act decisively in the face of danger. Through real-world scenarios, psychological insights, and practical strategies, you’ll learn how to rewire your instinctive reactions and cultivate a mindset built for survival and strength.

2025 RISC Conference
May 1 in Little Rock, AR

The annual Risk Intelligence Sharing Consortium is hosted by the AR State Police and SafeHaven Security Group. This is a closed door, invitation only event for select participants, including law enforcement and directors of corporate security. The event will include briefings and time-sensitive updates from heads of top law enforcement agencies and corporate security teams and experts from the world's most at-risk companies.

Request Invite or email experts@safehavensecuritygroup.com.

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Reposted from Safehaven Security

Three Cornerstones of Secure Mental Health Related to Violent Behavior

There are many divergent and competing views of how to understand human behavior, “mental health,” and how it applies to violence. At times we may be at risk of overthinking things and missing some foundational and obvious mental health aspects that are right in front of us. The three foundations discussed in this article are sleep disturbance, co-regulating relational connections, and grief/trauma.

Illegal violence is always a mental health issue and likely has an association with all three of these foundations (among others). While there are hundreds of theories of what goes wrong in mental health (particularly to create violence), ironically it could be argued that it is a lack of safety itself that cyclically creates such a lack of safety. At the brain’s most basic and highest prioritized level is one’s own safety and survival instincts. Unsafe people feel unsafe.

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Reposted from Cultural Property News

Cultural Property News has moved our operations to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We have an exciting year ahead!

We will continue to provide our thousands of readers with emailed quarterly Newsletters and extra News Bites. The combined Cultural Property News and Cultural Property Law websites have almost 600 articles on art, archaeology, and cultural heritage, extensive written testimony on U.S. and European legislation, and in-depth analyses of U.S. and international law and policy. We are revamping our websites to make these free, globally accessible resources easily searchable and reader-friendly for educators, students and general readers.

Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services Gutted
Serious Loss for U.S. Museums and Libraries
An executive order issued by President Trump on March 14 called for reduction in six different agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to “the minimum presence and function required by law.” The staff of IMLS responded simply by continuing to show up for work, many wearing black. So, when Deputy Secretary of Labor and newly appointed Acting Director of IMLS Keith E. Sonderling arrived at its doors with security officers and DOGE representatives a few days later, hoping to padlock the agency, they were surprised to find all 55 of its employees hard at work.  They left, hoping to avoid a scene. By the month’s end, however, the administration had dealt a seismic blow to cultural and educational infrastructure in the United States. On March 31, an abrupt order was issued, placing all staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services on administrative leave. The staff’s email accounts were disabled and communication with grantees cut off. Staff were told to take home their belongings and access to the building was cut.
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