INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FORCULTURAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
News
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
FALL REGISTRATION BONUS 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.
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Next Up: To Arm or Not to Arm: Evaluating Firearms in Private Security Operations When: September, 24 Webinar Time: 10:00a MT Q&A / Forum: 10:45a MT Register here: IFCPP - To Arm or Not to Arm: Evaluating Firearms in Private Security Operations
As threats to cultural institutions and public spaces continue to evolve, the decision to arm private security personnel remains one of the most complex and consequential challenges facing security leaders today. This session explores the real-world process of evaluating and implementing an armed security program at a major museum.
Presenters include Jon Barnwell, Associate Vice President of Safety & Security at the National World War II Museum; Eric Drewry, Founder & Principal Consultant of Drewry Consulting Group and Director of Protection Services at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Jason Goodrich, Director of Global Consulting at CriticalArc; and Norris Yarbrough, Senior Manager–Armed Security at the National World War II Museum.
Together, they will share a multi-layered case study covering:
Attendees will gain insight into the collaborative decision-making process, legal and ethical considerations, public perception challenges, and practical steps for launching or refining an armed security program tailored to their organization’s mission and risk profile
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... Presenter Interview Check out our interview with webinar presenter, Eric Drewry, here!
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 - To Arm or Not to Arm: Evaluating Firearms in Private Security Operations
Reposted from CISA/DHS
Emergency Services Sector and Information Technology Sector Webinar
Please join the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Emergency Services Sector and Information Technology Sector for a webinar highlighting practical cyber hygiene actions that reduce risk, support continuity of essential services, and reinforce trusted collaboration across government and industry.
Building Resilient Communities Through Cyber Hygiene Virtual and In-Person Webinar September 24, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST
Strong cyber hygiene is the foundation of building resilient communities. Every organization, whether cloud providers, emergency communication centers, local governments, or first responders, plays a vital role in keeping critical services up and running before, during, and after emergencies or cyber incidents. Join CISA for an engaging hybrid webinar featuring the Emergency Services and Information Technology Sectors on Building Resilient Communities Through Cyber Hygiene. This session will explore how improving daily cybersecurity practices, fostering trusted partnerships, and understanding cross-sector interdependencies can better prepare communities to withstand and recover from disruptions.
Reposted from Tim Richardson
Leadership Begins with Belief
Most of us can point to someone who saw potential in us before we fully saw it in ourselves. My grandparents did that for many people, including me. Their example taught me that belief is more than encouragement. It is an investment expressed through time, opportunity, trust, and action.
They gave the interest from their investments to their grandchildren while they were in college. They loaned or gave money to help others start businesses. They reduced the rent a family paid them when that family faced hardship. They sponsored 10 Dutch families who came to the United States at a time when a sponsor was required.
They paid for one man’s undergraduate degree, graduate degree, and Ph.D. And when I left my full-time job to start my professional speaking business, my grandparents gave me $10,000 to help me launch. They believed in others.
Because of their belief and optimism that people would do good things when given an opportunity, lives were changed. Destinies were altered. People who may never have had the chance to further their education, start a business, or build a new life for their families in a new country were given that opportunity.
Because my grandparents believed in me, my life was challenged and changed. There is much more to the story, but it begins with belief. I do not know what my life would look like today if someone had not looked beyond my imperfections, lack of experience, and failures and said three simple words: “I believe in you,” then backed those words up with action. It is remarkable what people can achieve when someone believes in them. Most people do not need another reason to doubt themselves. They need someone to see potential in them before they fully see it in themselves. You and I likely pass people every day who need to hear these words: “I believe in you.” Belief is crucial, but it is not the only thing.
Leaders show belief when they provide people with:
Clear expectations Meaningful opportunities Honest feedback Time and attention Training and mentoring Recognition for good work Permission to learn from mistakes The resources and support to succeed
Most people do not need a leader who simply says, “I believe in you.” They need one whose actions make that belief unmistakable.
Belief is not only a compliment. It is an investment. At some point, nearly every successful person can identify someone who saw something in them before they fully saw it in themselves. Leaders have that opportunity every day. Pause long enough to notice who on your team may be ready for more responsibility, more support, more encouragement, or simply these words:
“I believe in you, and I am willing to help you prove it.”
Resources from HENTF
Collections Stewardship Program - https://www.neh.gov/program/collections-stewardship
Cultural Heritage Emergencies Summit - Building a Community of Preparedness & Response DC Area Inaugural EventLearn more about the summit
Smithsonian- Protentional Impact Report
Getty- Conservation Perspectives
The COSA AWARE- Final Project Report
Readiness Reimagined: Arts Disaster & Crisis Preparedness Conference 2026
Reposted from Europol
Two Major Museum Heists Prove Europol’s Point
Europol is a strong ally for law enforcement in the fight against art theft and the trafficking of cultural property. This week, the organization distributed a report titled Changing Tactics, Changing Targets: The Evolving Nature of Museum Heists, which hopefully will be read far and wide across the museum world, even beyond Europe.
Reposted from The Guardian
Artworks stolen from Renoir Museum on French Riviera in latest heist.
French police are hunting two thieves who escaped with two Renoir paintings from a museum on the French Riviera after breaking in through a hole cut in its garden fence. Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, about 10 miles west of Nice, said the pair appeared to have been “well equipped and well informed” about the museum, which houses works by the French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir in his former home.
The theft early on Tuesday is the latest in a string of recent museum heists in France and across Europe, including the brazen break-in at the Louvre in Paris last October, when thieves stole crown jewellery worth €88m (£75m), including tiaras, a brooch, necklaces and earrings.
Masson told the local broadcaster Ici Azur that the two thieves sliced through the museum garden fence with an electric knife or metal saw, entered the building through the ground floor, and then cut the clips securing the artwork frames. Police arrived about five minutes after the museum’s alarm system went off at 5.48am, Masson said, which “forced the burglars to flee in haste and helped limit the scale of the theft” Two of the four works taken were abandoned in the museum gardens during the getaway, the mayor, a member of the far-right National Rally (RN), said. His office estimated the value of the stolen works at €9m.
The two stolen paintings were Young Woman at the Well and Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano. Both were on loan from the Musée d’Orsay, in Paris. “They’re Renoirs … you cannot sell them like that,” Masson said.
The paintings the thieves abandoned were both portraits: Portrait of Madame Pichon, and Coco Reading, a portrayal of Renoir’s young son Claude.
The Renoir Museum was established in 1960 in the mansion where the painter died aged 78 in 1919. It houses about a dozen of his paintings and about 40 sculptures, as well as photos, furniture and objects including his easel and wheelchair. Masson called for greater security for museums around France. “This incident should serve as a warning about the protection of our museums, which now face a new form of organised crime targeting works of art,” the mayor said.
An art theft expert, James Ratcliffe of the Art Loss Register, said thieves were increasingly targeting valuable artefacts. “Sadly, without further funding to improve museum security, we are likely to see an increase in the number of museum thefts,” he said.
“Each time thefts occur, it draws yet more attention to the perception of these museums as relatively easy targets. That can only encourage some criminals to consider them as straightforward places to steal from,” he told the Associated Press.
Europol, the pan-European police organisation, said last month robberies at European museums were becoming increasingly violent, with some thieves brandishing guns, assaulting staff and using sledgehammers, axes and even explosives.
The Europol report suggested specialist property crime or art theft gangs, who usually avoid violence, were being replaced by “individuals who often have histories of involvement in other types of crime”, who were recruited through social media.
The four suspected Louvre robbers have been arrested, but the jewels they allegedly grabbed in the seven-minute heist have not been found. Two of the suspects have reportedly told police the mastermind behind the heist was disappointed by the haul and thought “they could have taken more”.
Italian police recently recovered paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth more than $10.4m stolen from a museum in March. However, last month four of the most important works by the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in the Sicilian port city of Messina.
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