Massachusetts librarians are invited to partner with Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) to become CREW-certified Climate Resilience Hubs. This brief webinar walks you through the various options for libraries to become hubs.  Learn how participating in the Resilience Hub network helps integrate climate preparedness programming into your library’s mission, building on your capacity for ongoing engagement.  If you’re worried about climate change and wonder “What can I do?”, this is a great place to start. This webinar will talk through practical, low-stress, and free ways in which you can prepare your library and patrons for extreme weather events. From there, we’ll talk about ways to build out your programming as your capacity allows. When your library becomes a Resilience Hub, you grow community resilience and create a safety net in advance of catastrophic events to come.  We need to increase access to climate education and preparedness in Massachusetts, and libraries are very well positioned to be part of this effort.

Presenters:

• Gideon Nachman, Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW)
• Corey Farrenkopf, Sturgis Public Library
• Madeleine Charney, UMass Amherst Libraries

Massachusetts Libraries Partner with Climate Preparedness Week

March 13, 2020 10:30 – 11:15 AM  Register Now!

Host a Climate Change Event and Put Your Library on the Map!

Massachusetts librarians are invited to partner with Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) to host climate change events across the state as part of Climate Preparedness Week (September 21st – 28th, 2020). The webinar will begin with background on Climate Preparedness Week, followed by examples of resilience-building events you can host in your library. The goal of this week is to build community resilience and create a safety net in advance of extreme weather events.  Let your imagination run wild (e.g. environmental justice training, go bag workshops, youth leadership circles, mindfulness practices, book talks, film screenings, reflective writing, interactive displays). All types of librarians (public, academic, school, archives, special) are invited to attend.

*Participating libraries will be represented on an interactive map on CREW’s website.

Presenters:

• Gabrielle Griffis, Wellfleet Public Library
• Madeleine Charney, UMass Amherst Libraries
• Gideon Nachman, Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW)

Massachusetts Libraries Respond to Emergencies with COSTEP MA

April 24, 2020 10:30 – 11 AM   Register now!

Coordinated Statewide Emergency Preparedness in Massachusetts (COSTEP MA) is a network of representatives of cultural and historical institutions as well as first responder and emergency management professionals from federal, state, and municipal governments. COSTEP MA co-chairs Alejandra Dean (Massachusetts Archives) and Evan Knight (Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners) will discuss strategies and resources developed by COSTEP MA to help better prepare for and respond to a disaster or emergency. The webinar will provide practical information on enhancing your institution’s resilience, how to connect with your local Emergency Management Director, COSTEP MA’s ongoing projects, and tips and resources to assist in the recovery of damaged collections.

Presenters:

• Evan Knight, Preservation Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners
• Alejandra Dean, Assistant Digital Records Archivist, Massachusetts Archives

These webinars will be recorded and posted on the MLS Vimeo Channel.

Hope you will join us for the Climate Resilience Webinar series!