The course First reactions to wow – water damage took place at Árbæjarsafn on the 18th – 19th September. The course lasted for two days, attended by 24 participants from all over the country. The aim of the course is to introduce museum staff to the basics of making emergency plans for the rescue of museums, general preparation for, and their role in the execution of rescue. Participants also got different tasks to solve in preparation.
The course taught curators to plan and prioritize the rescue of collection costs after a flood and to practice procedures. After the course, participants were better equipped to act correctly and safely if there is any kind of flood threatening the cultural heritage. The course was divided into two parts: academic (about 20%) and practical (80%). The practical aspects are:
- A few exercises to learn to identify the sensitivity of collections to water
- Handling of wet vessels
- Preparing for a rescue operation
- Carry out the rescue of collection items (transportation and handling)
The second day of the course involved a rescue drill: the trainers water damaged items in a museum, including, among other things, books, documents, photographs, paintings, toys and other items. By putting themselves in a response position and experiencing emergency in real time, participants learned to think logically and remain calm in difficult situations. Trainees were able to put their theory into practice with a rescue.
The course was conducted by NKF-IS (Association of Nordic Preserves – Iceland) and the Blue Shield (International Association for the Protection of Cultural Values) with a grant from the museum fund and a contribution from the City History Museum of Reykjavík. The organisers aim to have a comparative course in Akureyri in May 2025.
