The IFCPP is pleased to introduce Renée Albiston as the foundation’s Strategic Development Partner. Renée will work with the IFCPP team to improve and elevate the foundation’s visibility, educational offerings, membership development, and internal operations.

Renée brings over 20 years of combined professional and academic experience, and has partnered with various cultural institutions such as the Monuments Men Foundation, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art. She also brings an understanding around auction house policies, art investment strategies, and non-profit grant procurement.

Renée has spent nearly 10 years studying, researching, and writing on looted art restitution issues. She earned her BA in Art History and History, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Colorado with a focus on cultural protection during times of military conflict. She is currently a graduate candidate in the University of Colorado’s Master of Humanities program with a specialization in art law and policy as it pertains to cultural property protection. Her graduate project entails the creation of an online learning tool for professional development on looted art identification in for-profit and non-profit settings. She believes understanding and incorporating nationally recognized best-practice recommendations on the front-end of the object intake process can serve as a preventative measure for litigation around contested ownership claims.

Renée is an active member of the American Alliance of Museums and the College Art Association, has established relationships with organizations focused on looted art issues, and is heavily involved in Denver’s robust cultural scene. She looks forward to working with the IFCPP team while strengthening relationships with current and new IFCPP members, and the cultural property protection community as a whole.

Not-to-be-missed!  IFCPP is very pleased to be partnering again with the Association of Midwest Museums, and presenting at this year’s AMM conference in Des Moines…

Protection Planning 101

Learn how to put together a protection plan that takes advantage of cost-effective strategies, current technology and low-cost or NO-cost training, regardless of the size of the institution or budget. Includes a copy of "Safeguarding Cultural Properties: Security for Museums, Libraries, Parks, and Zoos" by Stevan P. Layne, CPP, CIPM, CIPI

Hosted by the Association of Midwest Museums "Strong Roots & Thriving Communities" Conference in Des Moines, IA

Cost: $95

Discounts available for multiple registrations - contact us for details!

Register through IFCPP at: https://ifcpp.org/event-2573315 or through AMM at: http://www.ammconference.org/registration/

Only two days left to take advantage of significant correspondence training and certification course discounts, as well as substantial membership discounts:

40% off of CIPS DVDs, as well as 2-for-1 discounts for online CIPS and CIPM certification courses!

Register for the IFCPP-Yale conference by June 30 and receive a free copy of Safeguarding Cultural Properties, our feature publication!  Register at: http://ifcpp.org/Annual-Conference-Registration and shoot us an email that you’d like to take advantage of the offer.

Renew your membership by the end of the month and receive a 6-month extension!  Just log-in to the IFCPP, click on your profile link, and renew (including early renewal, before your regular renewal date).  Then send a quick email to office@ifcpp.org with “renew me now” in the subject line.  We’ll confirm your request and extend your member term on the back end of the system. 

Upgrade your Individual or Trial membership to an Institutional membership and receive a free copy of Safeguarding Cultural Properties!

INNOVONICS

Product Notice:
Inovonics Adds UL Listings to EN4204R Four Zone Add-on Receiver

What's New 
Inovonics EN4204R four zone add-on receiver with relay output is now UL listed.

New Functionality
The EN4204R four zone add-on receiver with relay outputs holds UL 365, UL 636, UL 985, UL 1023, ULC/ORD-C1023-74, UL 1610 and UL 1076 listings.

To learn more about our UL products and descriptions please visit our regulatory compliance page here. 

The Benefit
Customers can deploy the EN4204R in areas requiring UL 365, UL 636, UL 985, UL 1023, ULC/ORD-C1023-74, UL 1610 or UL 1076 listings.

Add-on Receiver Portfolio
The addition of UL certification on the EN4204R compliments existing add-on receiver agency certification.

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by Joan Baldwin

[re-posted from the Northern States Conservation Center Collections Caretaker eNewsletter]

The other day a colleague sent me an email. It contained a photograph of a group of blue ribbons on a table. Each ribbon said, "I Survived Another Meeting that Should Have Been an Email." I suspect my colleague and I are not the only people who see meeting announcements on Google calendar and are gripped with dread. Why? Because too often they're not actual meetings but opportunities to pontificate. People prattle on, they dominate, they wander down intellectual rat holes dazzled at their own verbal skills while the rest of the group languishes, twitches, or gazes out the window. Why? Because no one is listening, they're waiting to speak and there is a difference. One of the leaders we interviewed for Leadership Matters told us a story. She was new to the field and new to her job as the director of an active historical organization. After a board meeting, a trustee pulled her aside. His advice? Shut up. Just listen. Really listen. Too many leaders, directors and department heads think the appearance of listening passes for the act itself. But it doesn't and even someone with lame facial recognition skills can recognize attention versus inattention. Being on the receiving end of an inattentive colleague makes some people angry. They would rather skip the interaction and send an email. At least then there is a record of what they said. Inattention leaves others feeling erased as if what they have to offer doesn't really matter. Real listening means your thoughts actually respond to mine. You say things like picking up on what Joan just said, I believe......We build something as we toss ideas back and forth. We engage. We acknowledge each other's skills. Why does all this matter if you're a leader as opposed to being a member of a department or staff? Well, skilled leadership inspires trust. Trust is earned any number of ways, but one way is by making an employee, a team member or a direct report feel valued. People who are never heard don't feel valued. They feel dissed. They feel their time is wasted.  Today, in the age of distraction, there are very few of us who aren't guilty of poor listening. Bad enough that our egos and our thoughts can distract us so magnificently. Now we have email, Snapchat, Googlechat, Twitter and so much more.  So the next time you enter a room ready to lead a meeting for a group of overworked, overtired employees, try this: Ask everyone to turn off all their phones and close their laptops. Have them put both feet on the floor, hands on the table, and close their eyes. Wait 30 seconds. Then ask them to open their eyes. Start by asking the person on your left to "check-in," meaning one or two sentences about how they are. (Another variation of this is Outward Bound's check-in which involves telling the group one good thing or one bad thing about the day.) Both these activities require a slowing down, a focus on colleagues, and on who they are as people, not just their to-do lists. If your staff is given to too much information in check-ins, try asking everyone to close their eyes again. Ask them to start to repeat the alphabet, one person to each letter. If two people speak at the same time, the group needs to begin again. If the group really listens, they ought to be able to reach M or N. Have fun. Let's dedicate the next week to listening attentively and see what happens. Reprinted with permission from Leadership Matters  Posted:  March 11, 2015 Thoughts on 21st Century museum leadership by Anne Ackerson and Joan Baldwin For more information on Leadership please check out other articles from this Blog.

By Bill Anderson, Art Guard

Lending by private collectors has always been a vital component of the museum and gallery market. It serves the borrowing institution by expanding its reputation in a specific area or style or by broadening its scope of scholarship. Bigger crowds, increased patronage and a spotlight on their capabilities are desirable outcomes. For lenders, the advantages may be several-fold, including attention, if sought, and tax advantages. Or the new venue may simply be a place to park a piece of art vs. paying for storage.

Given the current climate for museums, borrowing may be on the rise, and not just among Kunsthalles. According to Eli Broad, borrowing, rather than owning, could be the future for museums, given the high cost of buying, storing and insuring art these days. “We’re going to bear the burden of insurance, we’re going to bear the burden of conservation,” he said. Lenders should not make any assumptions about a loan arrangement. They should work with a lawyer specializing in art law to ensure that all the proper steps are taken to safely transport art to and from the borrower and protect it while it is in another’s care.   Yet there are gaps, and assumptions continue to be made, particularly when the duration of the loan is short, which may cause both parties to be less rigorous. Currently, it is not unusual for standard loan documents from the borrower to outline protections in as ambiguous a manner as possible. The terms are, not surprisingly, brief in addressing topics like protection from theft while the work is on the borrower’s premises. Museums, particularly those with budget constraints, will apply their own standards for protection, which may not be sufficient or equal in degree to satisfy the lender’s unwritten criteria. Common language guarantees “…exercising the same care in respect to the works that it does in the safekeeping of comparable property of its own”, should be cold comfort to a lender. Today, we are far short of the point when theft, whether from the outside or within, is no longer an issue. In fact, with the expansion of the market and continuously rising prices, a greater threat of theft is inevitable. Nor should lenders depend on insurers to cover all contingencies, like theft, water damage, etc. Insurers are increasingly constrained by the concurrent rising cost of coverage in a highly competitive market. Standard language regarding a state-of-the-art level of protection from any possible occurrence should be a part of any complete loan document. These terms would require very little additional legwork by lawyers to set an acceptable threshold. Lenders should become more active in ensuring that their work is safe by applying greater scrutiny to existing loan agreements. The borrowers that take extra steps to ensure proper anti-theft protection will maintain their reputations as showcases for loaned work. Higher standards for lending and borrowing will ultimately benefit the entire market.

by Glenn MacIntyre, CIPM, CIPI
certified IFCPP instructor

Priceless Artwork Damaged By Impaired Patron

A 36-year-old woman punched, scratched, rubbed her butt on, and peed next to a $30-$40 million painting.

Museum Evacuated After Fire

A construction worker’s cigarette landed on some sawdust, sparking a massive fire that destroyed a valuable Picasso.

Ancient Urn Destroyed By 12-Year Old

A 12-year old trips and falls, knocking over an urn dating back to the Ming Dynasty.  The Curator stated that “Once it hit the marble floor, it shattered into hundreds of pieces. It was like a gun shot or a bomb had gone off.”

Security Officer Killed During Shooting at Museum

A rifle-wielding aggressor entered the museum on Wednesday afternoon, fatally shooting a security officer before being wounded himself by return fire from other guards.  A six-year veteran of the museum's security staff "died heroically in the line of duty," said the museum director.  “They did exactly what they were supposed to do to protect people in the museum; never take your guard force and security people for granted," he said. 

These are all words we don’t want to hear at our institution, yet the last statement is exactly what we do when we do not train our security staff; we take them for granted.  Just as condemning, is providing ineffective or out-of-date training.

Too often, this crucial part of operations at cultural property locations is ignored because:  a) “it’ll never happen here”, or b) “security is a necessary evil for insurance purposes only” or c) “they don’t bring in money, they’re costly enough as it is; the preservation of the artwork takes priority”.  However, these are the same people we leave in charge of protecting the artifacts, natural wonders and items that we owe our entire existence.  If we lose our entire inventory, are we still in business?

There are many organizations out there that promise the proper training.  However, how well do they know your institution?  Are they well versed in the necessary training?  What is required for your institution?  What about his/her background?  He/she was a Security Officer for five years; does that qualify them to teach?  What if he/she was a college professor in Criminal Justice, does that qualify him/her?  They were certified 5 years ago by some recognized program, is that enough?  Have you checked out the Instructor’s credentials to verify they are currently approved to instruct?

I have worked with three different states’ agencies that require state licensing for Security Officers.   Each state has its own requirements (anywhere from 8 – 40 hours).  It is amazing the horror stories the states’ have passed along to me.  One state has shut down hundreds of these organizations that were originally approved.

A true Instructor/Teacher/Professor is committed to the student learning.  We should all be interested in professionalizing our industry.  Although not everyone is suited to work in a security role or maybe in your institution’s environment, be it a library, a zoo, botanical garden, museum, etc., very few people come to work to fail at their job.   Once again, we are setting them up to fail if we don’t provide them the tools and skills to be successful.  This goes from the security officer, to the supervisor, to the security manager, to the Facilities Director, and so on.

When it comes right down to it, aren’t we all educational institutes anyway?  Why do we all get school groups coming to visit:  to learn!  Why neglect our own employees?  The message we are sending these guardians of the collections is:  “this place doesn’t care, why should I?”.

We also need to be aware of local, state or federal requirements and standards, which frequently are updated.  This is why the IFCPP is looking into offering more than just our own certification programs.  We are currently prepared to offer: 

a)     state mandated training for:

1.     State of New York,

2.     State of Vermont

3.     State of Connecticut.

b)    Management of Aggressive Behavior

We are also looking for input on whether we should become a training center for OSHA, since they are actively seeking more training centers through non-profit organizations.  So if anyone is interested in OSHA certified safety training (or any other specific training) please contact Rob Layne at rob@ifcpp.org.  In today’s society, with more and more competition and regulations hindering our abilities to stay open, we need to continue to enhance our programs by continually utilizing and making our security staff more versatile through education.

IFCPP is committed to reducing the number of articles like this one:  the ex-employee who killed himself inside a gallery at the campus' art museum was a security guard who resigned in several years ago to avoid being fired.

What we should be striving for in every situation is:  "Our security did an incredible job disarming the situation and did exactly as they were trained to do".

by Robert A. Carotenuto, CPP, PCI, PSP

[republished from the ASIS Cultural Properties Council Newsletter, Volume 2, March 2017]

Cultural properties continue to be under attack.  A machete-wielding man rushed at a group of soldiers on guard at the Louvre museum on February 3^rd and was shot and stopped by one of the soldiers.  Two weeks later, an attack by an Islamic State suicide bomb killed 88 people attending shrine to Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan, a town in the southern Sindh province, Pakistan.  As advocates for securing cultural properties, we must continue to build our global network of experts and collaborate on the best ways of meeting the continued threats to our world’s softest targets.

To this end, I am proud that our Houses of Worship committee has published a Vulnerability Mitigation Scenarios White Paper. I am also proud that the first draft of our council’s CRISP Report Case Study on the Clunia archaeological site was ready for peer review this March.  Much work still lies ahead, as the

Library Committee begins drafting its White Paper on the current heroin epidemic, the Museum Committee revises some of our dated guidelines, and our council’s general efforts to complete our White paper on Children Safety in Cultural Properties. 

Our efforts to produce valuable information continue with Jim McGuffey’s future webinar on Security Risk Analysis this July and my webinar on creating effective tabletop exercises this September.  We look forward to council members submitting outstanding sessions for the ASIS Annual Seminar and Exhibits this September, where I know we will be well represented at both the speaker’s podium and at our council’s booth.

We continue to seek membership from Women in Security, Young Professionals, and international members. I will be representing our council and others at ASIS Milan at the end of March to assist in global recruitment as well as the ASIS International effort to create mini-councils.  I ask that each council member make an effort to recruit a YP, WIS, or an international member for our council.  Of course, look to your own staff first, and bring them aboard for mentorship and leadership opportunities and follow the example of past council chair Bill Powers!

As mentioned on our last conference call, I am most proud to have been awarded ASIS International Council Chairman of the Year. This award validates the work of my fellow council members. Your enthusiasm in promoting the council’s activities and attracting new members, in writing great articles for our newsletter, as well as developing and publishing valuable white papers, made our council first amongst equals. My award is but recognition for your efforts.

I urge those working for or with cultural properties to get involved. You will reap the benefits of peer discussions to learn best practices, foster friendships, and advance our profession. Whether you’re a young professional or seasoned practitioner, the Cultural Properties Council seeks your involvement and perspective.

By Paula Ratliff

[republished from the ASIS Cultural Properties Council Newsletter, Volume 2, March 2017] 

Shelter in Place:  A Security Concept That Every American Should Know

“Shelter in Place” is a relatively new concept that is taught by criminologists and law enforcement professionals.  It is a precautionary term, aimed to keep you safe while remaining indoors and in the area where you are, should you hear gunshots or explosions.  While it is advisable, if you are close to an area with few or no windows and you can get there safely, that may be a good option.  Otherwise, you need to take cover in the area where you are and wait for the all clear directive to be given by local law enforcement.

School teachers are trained on how to do this in the event of an active shooter.  If a teacher hears gun shots and they cannot leave the classroom, they should immediately secure the room by locking and barricading the doors, covering and closing all windows and then securing the children under desks, furniture, book cases, etc.  The concept is that you seek immediate shelter with whatever you have available until the “all clear” code has been given or until given instructions by local law enforcement officials.  Some classrooms are equipped with an exit door, but exiting the door could be the wrong action and it is best to wait until you know it is safe to exit.

It is unfortunate that we must train school, hospital, church, retail and mall administrators, plant operators and others in crime prevention and safety measures.  Yet, it is the reality of the world in which we live.  We never know when someone is going to start shooting and the decisions you make in a split second could determine if you survive. 

This past summer, I was speaking at a college in Cincinnati, Ohio when I asked the group of students, “What would you do if you heard gun shots?”  The response was to look out the door to see where the shots originated.  Well, that was a really wrong answer, and one that could get you killed immediately.  If there is an active shooter, your head just appeared in their video game and they are taking you out!  It is advisable that you do not go looking for an active shooter unless you are armed and ready to engage. 

We have all watched in horror the videos of the lone-wolf terrorists, working at and/or with the instruction of ISIS leaders.  They are becoming more aggressive in their approaches and will continue to target soft targets.  Soft targets are things/areas that are not adequately secured.  They find a weak spot in your security program and they target it.  It is unfortunate, but we will always be vulnerable as criminals shoot up airports and drive trucks into crowds and enter schools, universities and restaurants.  Workplace violence continues to increase and factories and businesses need to be proactive in security training and security perimeters.

If your company and/or business is not training employees on how to Shelter in Place, you need to begin this immediately.  Consult your local law enforcement officials or a criminologist to assess your location and devise a plan of action.  It is your responsibility to protect those that work for you and the failure to devise a plan could result in legal liability for you and your company.