Seminar: Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Gathering Data and Exploring Professional Implications for a Very Different Future

Abstract

This seminar will introduce attendees to evolving data on the vulnerabilities faced by special collections due to climate change. It will cover implications for our profession and address the importance of long-term planning for the preservation of cultural heritage. Panel presenters have conducted research to map archival vulnerabilities to threats such as rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Ongoing work includes a project to create a comprehensive dataset of archival repository locations in order to better understand and communicate these vulnerabilities. Framing this research, additional presenters will explore the implications of climate chaos on standard professional practices, such as collection development strategies, environmental controls, emergency plans, and maintenance of professional networks. What lessons can we learn from how libraries and archives have reacted to disasters in the past? What can we learn from science fiction about the survival of information during and after crisis events? - - - - Moderator: Shannon Supple