[MSN] 22nd Annual National Archives Preservation. The ABCs of Modern Fire Suppression in Cultural Institutions

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

The 22nd Annual National Archives Preservation will take place on
Monday, March 10, 2008. The location this year will be the William
McGowan Theater in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. The
title of the conference is: The ABCs of Modern Fire Suppression in
Cultural Institutions.

The conference program will provide an in-depth review of fire
suppression systems appropriate for the protection of archives and other
cultural property. There will be an examination of what had been
utilized in the past and what modern systems are being used effectively.
The program will also feature insights as to what fire suppression
technologies might be utilized in the future and how cultural
institutions might adapt in an environment of shrinking budgets but
increasing volumes of holdings needing to be safeguarded.

The program will specifically acknowledge recent advances in specific
fire suppression systems that are applicable to confined spaces (records
vaults, high bay storage), vulnerable materials (artifacts), and
possibly electronic equipment (data repositories). It will also address
the impact these suppression systems have on the natural environment
within the context of the Kyoto Protocol and other policies adopted in
response to the threat of global warming.

We expect to have an audience of archivists, librarians, conservators,
preservation specialists, facility managers, architects and engineers,
and curators of museums and historic properties. The program will enable
attendees to be exposed to new information about modern, emerging
technologies to protect their collections against fire loss or damage.
Our intent is for attendees to leave the conference with an
understanding of what the appropriate choices are for their institution
and why the layout of building spaces, the configuration of shelving and
storage units, and the nature of the materials to be protected all must
be taken into account when designing and procuring a fire suppression
system.

The Speaker's Program shall include:

Fire Protection:  An Historical Overview
J. Andrew Wilson
Associate Director for Fire Protection and Safety
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC

New Fire Suppression Technologies
Nick Artim
Director of Fire Safety Network
Middlebury, Vermont

Risk Assessment for Cultural Institutions:  Fire Testing vs. Computer
Modeling
Frederick W. Mowrer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor- Department of Fire Protection Engineering
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
    
Low Oxygen Fire Suppression at the British Library
Julian Taylor
British Library
London, England

Fire Protection and Cultural Property - Preservation Issues and
Concerns
Catherine Nicholson
Supervisory Conservator, NARA

Approaches to Fire Suppression in NARA Facilities
Ron Noll
Chief of the Real Property Division, NARA

Why Williamsburg Went Wet Pipe
Patricia Silence
Conservator of Exhibits
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Williamsburg, Virginia

Update: R&D Project for Fire Protection in High Density Storage
Facilities
Roberta Pilette
Yale University Libraries
New Haven, CT

Fire Suppression in the Capitol Visitors Center Exhibit Gallery
Martha C. Sewell
Exhibition Project Director
The Capitol Visitors Center
Washington, DC

Fire Protection for the Rare Collections Library
Cornelius Rusnov
Project Coordinator
The State Library of Pennsylvania

This program is subject to change.

The registration fee is $125.00 for standard and $75.00 for student.
This fee includes a box lunch and all food and beverages served during
breaks. The doors to the National Archives Building - Constitution
Avenue entrance - will open at 8:00am. The program begins at 8:45am and
lasts until 5:15pm. There is no on-site parking.

A flyer that includes a registration form in Acrobat (.pdf) has been
attached for your convenience. Please fill out, enclose payment and send
by mail to the address listed. Please check our conference website at
http://www.archives.gov/preservation/conferences/2008/ for updates.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Sincerely,

Richard Schneider
Preservation Conference Coordinator
301-837-3617