After the 2017 hurricane season that battered the Caribbean, APOYOnline contacted preservation professionals in Cuba to survey their immediate needs to salvage their collections.
They expressed the urgent need for preservation materials and equipment to preserve the affected collections in libraries, archives and museums. In October 2017, APOYOnline members visited Cuba and distributed supplies generously donated by University Products, Gaylord Archival, and Hollinger Metal Edge, in addition to private donors, to five major institutions such as the National Archives, National Library Jose Marti, Art Institute (ISA), National Museum of Fine Arts, and the Ernest Hemingway Museum.
Despite the success of the 2017 campaign, the continued need for supplies to support recover from hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Jose was apparent, so APOYOnline initiated a second supply donation campaign in anticipation of a second trip to Havana in March 2018.
We were humbled by such a generous outpouring of support for our Cuban colleagues and were able to transport a range of supplies and tools, including 60 salvage wheels in Spanish, during our March 2018 trip to Havana, which also included a four-day photographic preservation workshop and visits to Cuban cultural institutions.
Donations were successfully distributed to institutions across Cuba including Casa Natal José Martí, Museo de Marianao, Museo de la Música, Academia de Ciencias, Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez, Museo de la Habana del Este, Literatura y Lingüística, Biblioteca Pedagógica, OSPI, Fototeca del OHC (Oficina del Historiador de Cuba), Instituto de Historia, Archivo CIFO VEIGA, Biblioteca Rubén Martínez Villena, Biblioteca Nacional, Archivo Nacional, IDICT (Instituto de Información Científica y Tecnológica), and Casa de las Américas.
We want to acknowledge the generous donations received during the second campaign especially from the National Postal Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the American Institute for Conservation, Bookmakers International Ltd, RISD Museum (Museum of Art Rhode Island School of Design), conservators in private practice, and private donors.
Thank you very much for your support of cultural heritage preservation in the Americas!
APOYOnline – Association for Heritage Preservation of the Americas, Inc. is conducted an international campaign to donate preservation materials to support hundreds of cultural institutions and collections impacted by reocurring floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in April/May 2024. These materials wiere primarily used during rescue operations to properly house libraries, archives and museum’s collections, prior subsequent recovery. Over 90% of the state’s cultural heritage has been severely affected by the impact of this historic natural disaster caused by climate change.
APOYOnline contacted Brazilian authorities in Washington, D.C. (USA), government officials, museums, archives, and libraries in Rio Grande do Sul, and our regional network and local partnering organizations, to coordinate efforts and facilitate the transfer of donated materials.
APOYOnline is providing up-to-date technical information in Portuguese and Spanish for rescuing material damaged by water. Having trained numerous conservation professionals from across the Latin American region throughout its 35 years of existence, these trained professionals are now available to assist their Brazilian colleagues. Together we can help rescue and preserve the memory of the communities of the State of Rio Grande do Sul.