Short Courses / Theoretical and practical course

Managing Emergencies: Archival, Library, Photographic, and Multimedia Materials – Practical Exercises

Date: September 18th and 19th, 2026
Course duration: 12 hours in 2 days. 4 hours of theory on September 18th and 8 hours of practical training on September 19th
Number of participants: In-person attendance is limited to 20 participants
Attendance mode: Mixed mode
Course Location: Fondazione Biblioteche and Laboratorio Fortezza da Basso
Course cost: €290 for the full course, €160 for the theory part only
Language: Italian / English only for the online theoretical part
Registration Procedure
Apply
Course description

The training program dedicated to emergency management in archives and libraries, previously offered by the Opificio ETS Foundation on September 27, 2025, has been expanded in the second edition of the course, dedicating more space to practical exercises, the Civil Protection system, and the management of multimedia materials. Intended for public officials, representatives of archives, libraries, photographic and multimedia collections, private restorers, students, and volunteers, the course aims to promote best practices for the prevention and management of emergencies involving cultural heritage in paper, parchment, book, photographic, and multimedia materials. Topics covered include sector-specific regulations, available information resources, preventative conservation, and the recovery of materials held in archives and libraries through the analysis of case studies that include the activities of the specialized module Cultural Heritage Protection of the Mobile Unit of the Civil Protection of the Tuscany Region (CMRT). The course includes a day of practical exercises supported by the specialized module of the CMRT, with the active involvement of participants in the various phases of sample materials.

Program divided into modules (specific topics addressed by the various instructors):

1st module

  • Rita Capitani: Reference legislation, prevention and emergency management in archives and libraries, case studies.
  • Alessandro Sidoti: Prevention and emergency management in the library, case studies.
  • Barbara Cattaneo: Prevention and emergency management for photographic heritage, case studies.
  • Marco Pagni: Prevention and emergency management for film and sound heritage, case studies.
  • Filippo Cenci: The Cultural Heritage Protection module of the Tuscany region Civil Protection Mobile Column, case studies.

2nd module

Practical exercises on emergency management and recovery of archival, library, photographic and multimedia heritage carried out with the support of the Tuscany region Civil Protection Mobile Column.

Mode

Mixed mode. Online and in-person for the theoretical part at the Fondazione Biblioteche Via Maurizio Bufalini N°6 Firenze, FI 50122; the practical part will be held only in- person at the Laboratorio Fortezza da Basso Viale F. Strozzi, 1 – 50129 – Firenze

Lecturers