INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FORCULTURAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
News
Reposted from Tim Richardson
Positive Expectancy: Finding the Opportunity on the Other Side of Adversity
Last week, like many people, I found myself thinking about September 11th: where I was, what I was feeling, how people around me responded, and the impact the attacks had on me personally and professionally.
The weeks that followed revealed something remarkable. Out of one of the most tragic experiences many of us have lived through came moments of immense good. It was a test of our ability to look deeply into something so awful and still find evidence of humanity, courage, and hope.
Shortly after 9/11, I asked an audience a question: What good came from something so horrible?
To my surprise, the group generated a list of more than a dozen answers. They spoke about things like stronger communities; people treating one another with greater kindness; renewed patriotism; deeper respect for those who serve selflessly; strengthened faith; and a renewed commitment to spending time with family.
None of those outcomes erased the tragedy. They did, however, show that even in the midst of great loss, people can choose to find connection, purpose, and a way forward.
The challenges we experience today may pale in comparison to that historic event, but they can still feel overwhelming. When something difficult happens around us, we need to look honestly at the negative and then ask what good might yet come from it.
I call that positive expectancy.
For leaders, this can be especially difficult. When results decline, priorities shift, budgets tighten, or uncertainty grows, it is natural to focus on what is broken. Yet it is critical to lead with positive expectancy, not shallow optimism, but a grounded belief that people can learn, adapt, and create something better.
It starts with a pause. Ask yourself: What good has come or could come from this life-changing or life-challenging event? What can we learn? What opportunity can we create?
I experienced this firsthand while working in 2001 with a luxury resort that was committed to elevating service delivery across every department. After 9/11, the tragedy initially took the wind out of our sails. Business declined sharply. The organization reduced its workforce, hourly employees’ schedules were cut, and morale suffered.
Yet something important emerged from that difficult season.
The organization created seven teams charged with significantly improving the guest experience from every angle. One team called itself the Spirit Team. Its members took responsibility for providing training, learning opportunities, and inspirational moments that could lift morale during an exceptionally challenging period.
While the organization was suffering externally and team members were hurting internally, the Spirit Team consistently created moments of reflection, encouragement, and connection. Their positive influence helped move people forward.
Combined with the work of the other teams, those efforts changed the organization’s direction. On the other side of 9/11, the resort achieved something it had pursued for more than 25 years: AAA’s coveted Five Diamond Award.
I am not suggesting that we need bad things to happen in order to accomplish something good. We do not. But when difficult things inevitably happen, we can choose to leverage every available resource to find opportunities for growth.
For years, one of my mantras has been: “On the other side of adversity is always something better.”
Positive expectancy is not pretending that adversity is good. It is refusing to let adversity have the final word. It means acknowledging what is hard, supporting one another through it, and asking, “What can we build from here?”
A current leadership lesson is the idea that hope must be paired with realism and action. Harvard Business Review describes effective leadership in uncertain conditions as grounding people in the present reality, setting an aspiration that feels credible, and giving people clear pathways to contribute. In other words, positive expectancy is not wishful thinking; it is a disciplined way of communicating, planning, and mobilizing people toward a better outcome.
Today’s strongest leaders model this same balance. They do not pretend uncertainty is easy or minimize what people are experiencing. Instead, they name the reality, clarify what matters most, invite people to contribute ideas, and create practical paths forward. That is what turns hope from a feeling into momentum, and positive expectancy from a slogan into a leadership practice.
See Original Post
Reposted from TX-CERA
The Texas Collections Emergency Resource Alliance (TX-CERA) is hosting a free 1.5-hr webinar on October 8: "An Introduction to Tabletop Exercises for Cultural Heritage: Building Emergency Response Skills Through Scenario-Based Training."
The session will include the key components of an effective tabletop exercise, how to run a scene size-up and tactical 360, what information responders should gather when first assessing an incident, the basic elements of a safety briefing, how to think about command assignments and roles, and the fundamentals of developing an Incident Action Plan (IAP).
This introductory webinar is designed for museum, library, archive, historic site, and other cultural heritage professionals, including emergency preparedness coordinators, collections and facilities staff, administrators, educators, volunteers, and anyone interested in strengthening their organization’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities.
Reposted from ASIS NYC
ASIS NYC membership includes local access through NYPD Shield. But did you know that your NYC Chapter's active support of the Global Shield Network and its Global Shield Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, extends that value far beyond New York City? Through Board-level involvement and ongoing collaboration, your NYC Chapter has built a direct bridge connecting local resources to a worldwide network of security professionals and law enforcement partners.
Here's what that means for you:
ON-DEMAND GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY Need a trusted contact in London, Belgium, Australia, Canada or any of the 70+ international Shield partner programs? Simply reach out to a Chapter Board member. NYC Chapter Board ties enable fast, warm introductions to foreign law enforcement agencies and private-sector executive connections that go well beyond what standard local channels can offer.
ACCESS TO BROADER INTELLIGENCE & INSIGHTS Through the Global Shield Network, members can tap into expanded threat information, cross-border best practices, and emerging international trends. Chapter Board engagement ensures you receive timely, actionable intelligence on issues affecting your operations, supply chains, or travel—insights that aren't always available through local resources alone.
PERSONALIZED SUPPORT FOR YOUR INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES Is your organization navigating a cross-border security issue, coordinating with international vendors, or managing global expansion? The NYC Chapter Board serves as your direct connection point to the full Global Shield Network, helping you accelerate solutions and forge collaborations that would otherwise require slow, cold outreach.
CAREER & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Leverage these global relationships for international benchmarking, joint projects, speaking opportunities, and worldwide networking. Your ASIS NYC membership carries added weight as a recognized partner across borders, strengthening your professional profile with meaningful public-private security exposure on a global scale.
MISSION-DRIVEN IMPACT
By supporting the Global Shield Foundation through chapter initiatives, we collectively contribute to sustaining and expanding the Network, while reinforcing our chapter's reputation as a committed leader in global security partnerships.
The bottom line: If you’re responsible for protecting people, assets, or operations within your organization, staying connected isn’t optional, it’s critical. The NYC Chapters support of the Global Shield Network transforms your membership into a personal global resource. When your security needs extend beyond New York, connect with a Board member—the Global Shield Network is ready to help you succeed.
Thank you,
ASIS International – New York City Chapter
Reposted from Majestic Collaborations
READYWHEN NYC
THE CITY BECOMES THE CLASSROOM
October 29–30 | New York City
REAL PLACES. REAL SYSTEMS. PRACTICAL SKILLS.
ReadyWhen is coming to New York for a two-day Foundations Field Intensive presented in partnership with OPERA America. We’ll move between learning sessions, hands-on skills, working cultural spaces, and scenario-based exercises — learning with people who operate these systems every day.
OPERA America’s National Opera Center will serve as our home base, with additional NYC learning sites and practitioners to be announced as the cohort comes together.
Arts and cultural organizations already know how to gather people, operate complex spaces, communicate under pressure, and care for communities. ReadyWhen takes that existing capacity seriously and gives people a chance to practice, test, and connect those skills before something goes wrong. WHO IT’S FOR
Arts and cultural leaders, venue and event operators, administrators, emerging leaders, emergency management and public-agency partners, funders, and others responsible for the people, places, and systems communities rely on.
Small, cross-functional groups from each organization are encouraged to participate and maximize the benefits of the interactive exercises.
Made possible through underwriting from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
Learning cohort limited to 50
TWO DAYS
PART OF A 15-HOUR CERTIFICATE
The NYC Field Intensive is eligible for the in-person practicum for the ReadyWhen Foundations Certificate in Event & Emergency Operations. Participants pursuing the full certificate can combine approximately seven hours of this in-person opportunity with approximately eight hours of online coursework, micro-certifications, and final assessment through IFCPP — 15 hours in total. The online learning includes the ReadyWhen operational framework, water, sanitation, radios, power and electrical systems, and accessibility, alongside micro-certifications in ICS-100, Temporary & Emergency Power, Mass Care & Emergency Assistance, Community Lifelines, Safe Food Handling, and Crowd Manager Training.
THE COMPLETE PATHWAY
NYC Field Intensive: $250, including meals
Online certificate component through IFCPP: $150
Total for complete 15-hour certificate pathway: $400
Questions? Contact Matthew Kowal at matthew@majesticcollaborations.com.
FALL REGISTRATION BONUS CONTINUED Register for the IFCPP 28th Annual Conference, Seminar & Exhibits by October 15, 2026, and receive a $100 credit toward any IFCPP training or certification course! Use your credit toward:
Conference: April 10–14, 2027 Baltimore, Maryland Hosted by the Maryland Center for History & Culture, Walters Art Museum & Baltimore Museum of Art Strengthen your professional skills while saving on your next IFCPP educational opportunity. Register by October 15 to take advantage of this limited-time bonus! Register today: IFCPP - IFCPP 2027 Annual Conference, Seminar, Exhibits at the Maryland Center for History & Culture and contact us at office@ifcpp.org to claim your $100 training credit! The Foundation's 2027 conference will be held at MCHC and Hotel Indigo Baltimore Downtown in the heart of the "Monumental City's" arts and cultural district. This not-to-be missed in-person gathering will include all-new conference sessions presented by industry leaders and local experts, security manager and director certification and re-certification, pre-conference workshops, library protection track, excursions to several world-renowned cultural institutions, group meals, industry exhibits, out-of-the-classroom educational and networking events at host institutions, and our traditional lineup of outstanding presenters, timely topics, and networking activities.
IFCPP extends our sincere appreciation to Imperial Surveillance, Inc. for sponsoring the 2027 IFCPP Annual Conference in Baltimore!
Imperial Surveillance designs, installs, and supports integrated security solutions that help museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and other cultural institutions protect their collections, people, and facilities—while maintaining a welcoming visitor experience.
As a Genetec Certified Partner with a BICSI Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) on staff, Imperial offers expertise in:
By integrating people-counting technology with video surveillance and access-control platforms, Imperial can also help institutions better understand visitor traffic, monitor occupancy, and support informed operational planning.
Imperial works closely with each organization to develop security strategies suited to its buildings, sensitive spaces, daily operations, and incident-response needs. Its internal support team continues assisting clients after installation, helping ensure that systems remain dependable and effective.
We are grateful for Imperial Surveillance’s commitment to the cultural-property protection community and look forward to welcoming their team to Baltimore!
Learn more: www.imperialcctv.com Follow Imperial Surveillance on Facebook: facebook.com/ImperialCCTV
Reposted from SafeHaven Security
PREVENTION STARTS BEFORE AN INCIDENT
Concerning behavior often provides opportunities to intervene before it escalates.
In a recent client situation, repeated unwanted contact toward an employee eventually began spilling over into the workplace. SafeHaven's Behavioral Threat Assessment team evaluated the situation and recommended protective measures ranging from coordination with law enforcement and employee safety planning to parking escorts, schedule adjustments and increased staff awareness.
The situation ultimately stabilized without further incidents—a powerful example of why recognizing and addressing warning signs early matters.
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SAVE THE DATE
Violence Prevention Conference of Mid-America
Join us October 20–21 in Rogers, Arkansas for two days of practical strategies and real-world insight on preventing violence before it happens — built for HR professionals, security leaders, educators, and law enforcement. Seats are limited.
Reposted from ArtSentry
How the Dallas Museum of Art Is Using Technology to Transform Collection Protection
How can museums strengthen collection protection without simply adding more guards? In this Texas Association of Museums webinar recap, see how the Dallas Museum of Art is using technology to extend its security team’s reach, identify previously unseen object interactions, provide valuable insights to conservation teams, and support more positive visitor experiences.
Field Trip Season Is Here: Protecting Collections While Keeping Students Engaged
School field trips bring excitement, curiosity, and plenty of energy into museum galleries. Explore seven practical ways to set clear expectations, encourage positive visitor behavior, and protect your collection—without taking away from the discovery and exploration that make museum field trips memorable.
Reposted from AASLH
AASLH President and CEO John Dichtl will be a keynote speaker at the upcoming Local History & Historic Preservation Conference, organized by the Wisconsin Historical Society.
2027 Annual Conference in Milwaukee
The conference takes place October 14 – 16 in Milwaukee. John’s keynote on Friday, October 15 and is titled “A Semiquincentennial for What Purpose?”
National leaders and organizations, state commissions, local governments, and others spent years preparing for the nation’s Semiquincentennial. In the end, was it a celebration, a commemoration, or a reckoning? Although federal support was sparse, national, state, and local organizations made this a powerful grassroots event. They provided programming that encouraged patriotism and pride in the story of American resilience, offered multiple perspectives on our shared history as a nation of diverse people, and fostered critical awareness of what it means to learn from our mistakes. John will discuss where we take the commemoration from here.
Learn More and Register for the Milwaukee Conference
2027 Annual Conference in Madison
Save the date for next year’s AASLH Annual Conference, which will be held in Madison.
The conference takes place September 20 – 23 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.
The theme, Interwoven Histories and Shared Stewardship, centers shared authority, collective memory, and the responsibility to steward history with the communities, not for them.
AASLH will begin accepting session proposals for the conference soon. Watch your inbox and AASLH social media for an announcement. Registration for the conference will open in May 2027.
Learn More about the Madison Conference
Northern States Conservation Center
Collections Caretaker eNewsletter
Moving Your Collection: Considerations
Moving Your Collection: Some questions to consider
(Excerpted from course Introductory Slide Show)
Scope of the Project
Where are you starting? Where are you going? What is your goal? Are you moving the entire institution, the collection or part of the collection? How much time do you have? How is the time distributed? What is your budget?
Where are you?
Gather your information Conservation surveys Conservation assessments Inventories Location information Object/Specimen catalogs Dimensions and numbers Previous grants
What policies and procedures are in place?
Collections policy Collecting policy De-accession policy Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy and procedures Food in museum policy Collections access policy Handling guidelines Object movement procedures Which policies and procedures need to be updated? Which need to be added? What needs to be addressed before the move? Where are you going? What space are you moving into? Is it across the hall or across town? Does it have an appropriate floor load? How much space is there? Is it more or less space than you currently have? How can you make it the most efficient and functional? Will you have new storage furniture or will you be using existing furniture? Will the collections be arranged the same or differently? How will you structure that change? _______________________________________________________________
To learn more about planning and executing a collection move, join Laura Wingate for MS262 Moving Collections starting October 5, 2026.
Moving Collections
Do you have a collection moved in your future? Want to know the best practices for planning for the move, making it happen, and making sure nothing gets damaged or lost in the process? This is the course that will help you have a successful move!
Moving collections is a daunting task. Fragile items need special packing and care to be safely transported. Large, heavy or awkward items like dinosaurs and oversized sculptures require special equipment and support from local authorities. How do you design your project to meet the budget and timing demands of your administration? Are your collections over-packed in acidic boxes and does your move includes improving their storage and care? Collections often take up more room when they are stored properly. How do you determine your needed storage space when the collection is decompressed? Moving Collections provides an overview of how to plan and manage a move to avoid the many pitfalls. The course includes: defining your project, developing a Request for Proposal (RFP), developing a work plan, staffing, and packing protocols. Whether you are moving part of the collection within your building or moving the entire collection to another facility, Moving Collections provides a blueprint for you to follow
Early Bird Discounts Available for Full Length Courses an Early Bird Discount is available for anyone who signs up for a full-length course from museumclasses.org 30 days prior to the start of that course.
Sign up for a full-length course up to 30 days prior to its start and save 20%!
For our course list or to sign up: http://www.collectioncare.org/course-list
To take advantage of this discount, you must enter coupon code EARLYBIRD at checkout at collectioncare.org
Early Bird Discount for November Courses is October 3, 2026 October 2026 Courses
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Learn how to prepare for, respond to and recover from all types of potential hazards to cultural properties. If you do not have a Museum Collection Emergency Plan or an Institutional Emergency Plan this course will help you understand how to plan for and recover from an emergency.
MS253: Disaster Preparation and Recovery October 5 to 30, 2026 Instructor: Amanda Benson
Safeguarding collections and protecting staff and visitors is one of the most important functions of a cultural institution. Course introduces students to disaster preparedness, response and recovery of cultural collections for all types of potential hazards. The components of incident preparedness and response are explained with examples from the instructor’s experience in recovery of cultural collections, including small to large situations with fire, flood, high winds, and earthquake. After an institutional plan is written, the next step is to train staff in prevention, proper staff actions during an event, and post-event recovery. This course complements Disaster Plan Research and Writing.
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MS 262: Moving Collections
October 5 to 30, 2026 Instructor: Laura Wingate
Description:
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When was the last time your museum did a complete collection inventory? Was it 5, 10, 20 or more years ago? If it has been that long, it is time to do another one. This course will take the student through the process of preparing for, conducting, and reconciling a collection inventory. Come learn what the inventory process is all about!
MS 218: Collection Inventories November 2 to 30, 2026 Instructor: Peggy Schaller
Description
Collection inventories are vital to collection management and security. You need to know what is in your collection to be able to manage it well. This means regular inventories must occur. But knowing you must do them and actually having the time and manpower to complete an inventory are two different things. Collection Inventories discusses everything you ever wanted to know about collection inventories. From how to set one up to how to conduct an inventory. Other topics include what to look for during an inventory and how to reconcile the information.
Soft Target Hardening: From Theory to Practice
When: October 08, 2026 Webinar Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM @ Zoom Register here: IFCPP - Soft Target Hardening: From Theory to Practice
Attacks against crowded spaces, or soft targets, are on the rise worldwide, perpetrated by terrorists and other violent actors. This webinar will provide viewers with an overview of current and emerging soft target threats, examine past failures, and discuss unique hardening techniques, tactics, and best practices through completion of a scored assessment. Special topics of discussion will include psychological aspects of security adding to vulnerability such as fatigue, complacency and denial. The speaker will also explore ways to mitigate against insider threat and lone actors.
The session is for security practitioners, law enforcement, first responders, business managers, and cultural property administrators. As we rise to the challenge of increased workplace safety and security, these practices will help all of us mitigate similar concerns in our personal lives. How do we identify vulnerabilities and take a proactive approach to enhance our own safety? Do we pre-assess venues and discuss emergency plans before attending an event? How can we become security force multipliers?
This live event will challenge your existing security measures to see if they rise to meet current and emergent threats. We will provide prescriptive information, tools and best practice information to assist. We plan to ask tough questions about your approach to safety and security. What proactive measures do you take to protect your employees and your workplace? What systems are in place to protect infrastructure and people from attack? What are your emergency plans and how familiar are employees with procedures? Is there appropriate crisis response training and programmed drills?
Participants should attend the webinar with a specific soft target property or public event in mind. The presenters will assist with conducting a scored assessment to evaluate that target's vulnerability to attack. Come away with a greater knowledge of soft target threats and vulnerabilities, a scored instrument for any venue of concern, and unique ideas for hardening against attack.
Course Objectives:
• Identify the psychology of security such as fatigue, complacency and denial and impact on vulnerability and susceptibility to attack.
• Review the emergent threats and recent soft target attacks.
• Examine improvements made to strengthen soft targets.
• Discuss unique techniques for hardening soft targets against terrorist and violent criminal attack.
• Review best practices through the use of a scenario, assessment tools and government guidance.
Following the workshop, students will be able to:
• Understand soft targets and their inherent vulnerabilities.
• Conduct a vulnerability assessment of a soft target and enhance security measures.
• Utilize an assessment instrument to identify, deter, and mitigate attacks on soft targets in their community.
IFCPP's free monthly webinar series and live Q&A forum provides valuable educational content and resource-sharing throughout the year. Webinars will continue to feature recognized practitioners, subject matter experts, and industry leaders discussing current challenges, emerging threats, lessons learned, and innovative solutions for protecting cultural institutions and their collections. Stay tuned for a list of upcoming topics, with a wide range of timely presentations already scheduled each month into 2027... About your presenter: Dr. Jennifer Hesterman is a retired Air Force colonel who served in three Pentagon tours and commanded in the field multiple times. Her final assignment was Vice Commander, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where she led installation security, including protection of Air Force One. Dr. Hesterman is a counterterrorism and soft target hardening expert, working with businesses, sports venues, schools, houses of worship, malls, hospitals, convention centers, and critical infrastructure sites to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities. She advises the Homeland Security Training Institute, the Crisis Response Journal, and 2 DHS Security Centers of Excellence. Her book Soft Target Hardening: Protecting People from Attack was the ASIS Security Industry Book of the Year in 2015. The second edition received the same honors in 2019 and was the Social Sciences Book of the Year for Taylor & Francis. Dr. Hesterman is an analog astronaut and participates in human spaceflight training and deep space simulations. She conducts human factors research and tests food, spacesuits, technology and tools. She is training for her lifelong goal of space travel.
Following each 45-minute presentation, attendees are invited to participate in an Open Forum and Live Q&A, providing an opportunity to ask questions, discuss real-world challenges, and engage directly with webinar presenters and fellow professionals. The new member forum will include monthly Zoom gatherings, hot-topic discussion, member-to-member problem-solving, extensive resource-sharing, and recorded discussions for ongoing reference. Practitioners responsible for protecting cultural institutions, collections, visitors, and staff are encouraged to participate. Register at: IFCPP - Soft Target Hardening: From Theory to Practice _________
When Resources Fall Short: Supporting Museum Security Teams Through Technology Thursday, October 15, 2026 12:00 p.m. Mountain / 2:00 p.m. Eastern
Museum security teams must maintain consistent collection protection even when staffing and budgets are anything but consistent. Presented in partnership with Art Sentry and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, this practical case study will explore how technology can help museums address staffing gaps, difficult gallery sightlines, and visitor concerns about security interactions.
Attendees will hear directly from museum representatives about their experience, lessons learned, and considerations for institutions seeking to strengthen security without compromising the visitor experience.
Would you please share this opportunity with museum security professionals, colleagues, regional groups, and others in your network who may benefit? You’re welcome to forward this email or share the registration link through newsletters, message boards, and social media:
Register Here
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