The recovery period begins once you have responded and dealth with the immediate issues of the disaster and you have time to pause and consider the situation. It is important to know that the recovery process may take time. The goal is to stabilize the collection and avoid or reduce future risk. This may include: stabilizing the museum environment, building repairs or renovations, conservation of the collection, or applications for grants or relief funding to support recovery efforts.
Image caption: Edited "Disaster response and recovery flow chart" from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences' (MAAS) All is Not Lost: The Collection Recovery Booklet, page 8-9.
As an example, in Be Prepared, the Heritage Collections Council has outlined nine (9) useful steps to include in a Disaster Recovery Plan to help guide an institution including:
Organize the team
Record and evaluate damage
Recovery needs
Stabilizing the environment
Action Sheets
Locating supplies
Maintaining morale
Returning to the new normal
BC HERN - Documentation
FAIC - Emergency (CAP) Program
FAIC - Find A Conservator
FAIC NHR - Drying Wet Collections and Buildings
FAIC NHR - Long Term Recovery
FAIC NHR Tip Sheet - Working With Recovery Vendors: What You Should Know
HCC - Be Prepared: Step 7 Disaster Recovery Plan / Paso 7 PLAN DE RECUPERACIÓN DE DESASTRES
NC CREST & TX-CERA Webinar (52:56) - "Disaster Recovery Triage"
THC - Grants and Fundraising
FLICC Preservation & Bindery Working Group - Disaster Recovery Contract - contains recommendations for the content of a contract for recovery services, and what you should expect from a viable recovery service vendor
SI - PRICE - Incident/Damage Report Template
BC HERN Video (1:50) - Salvaging Textiles with Water-Soluble Dyes
BC HERN Video (1:46) - Salvaging Water-Damaged CD
FAIC and NCPTT Video (11:14) - How to Salvage Taxidermy Mounts
FAIC and NCPTT Video (12:29) - How to Salvage Wet Framed Photographs
FAIC and NCPTT Video (9:18) - How to Salvage Wet Clothing
NEDCC Video (2:26) - Vacuuming Moldy Books & Paper
NPS - Salvage Techniques
AIC - Tips for the Care of Water-Damaged Family Heirlooms and Other Valuables
CCAHA - Damage Glossary
CCAHA - Freezing & Drying of Books, Paper and Photographic Material
CCAHA - Salvaging Art on Paper / EL RESCATE DE OBRAS DE ARTE CREADAS SOBRE
CCAHA - Salvaging Books
CCAHA - Salvaging Photograph Collections / Recuperación de desastres El Rescate de Colecciones Fotográficas
CCAHA Webinar (42:35) - Picking Favorites: Strategies for Determining Salvage Priorities
FAIC - Tip Sheet - Recovery Guidelines for Textiles and Clothing in Flooding or Water Related Disasters
FAIC Webinar (57:21) - NHR After the Fire: Book and Paper Salvage
FAIC Webinar (1:03:12) - NHR After the Fire: Objects Salvage
FEMA HENTF Save Your Family Treasures Fact Sheets - English and Español (ES)
IPI - Response and Recovery of Fine-Art Inkjet Prints during Water Emergencies
NARA - Objects Recovery (what to look for)
NEDCC - Preservation Leaflets
NPS NCPTT - Saving Wet Textiles After a Flood
WAAC - Salvage at a Glance
Heritage Preservation Video - Getting Started (11:09)
Heritage Preservation Video - Water Segment (10:50)
Heritage Preservation Video - Mold (7:58)
Heritage Preservation Video - Soot & Ash (7:00)
Heritage Preservation Video - Mud (7:33)
Heritage Preservation Video - Corrosion (6:30)
Heritage Preservation Video - Broken Objects (3:29)
Heritage Preservation Video - Hazardous Materials (6:37)
The Disaster Preparedness Plan is a living document and should be reviewed and updated regularly. As a group, institutions should discuss whether the plan worked, was useful, easy to follow, understood by all team members, and include whether there were enough materials and supplies on-hand for effective response.