by Charlie Costain, Director, Conservation and Scientific Services, and David Tremain, Conservator, Preventive Conservation Services
It's New Year's Eve, 1999. As the clock ticks down, the world is holding its collective breath to see if the lights go out, the phones go silent, or the traffic lights go haywire. You are also wondering what will happen to the collections in your care. All of the museum's computer-operated systems have been verified, but what if you missed something? What if the electric company missed something? What if...?
Most Canadians are aware of ‘Y2K' and have either taken steps to prepare or, convinced that the problem is beyond their control, have decided to just hope for the best. For those who are preparing, the process can be divided into two distinct parts: risk management (assessing the risks and taking appropriate action before the critical date), and contingency planning (drawing up emergency plans for after the critical date).
In carrying out risk management for Y2K, Canadian museums face many of the same issues as most businesses. Numerous useful sources of information are available, including Industry Canada (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sos2000 or 1-800-270-8220) and the Year 2000 Information Centre for the Cultural Community (http://www.ramanet.net).
By now, many of you will already have contacted the vendors of all of your computer-based systems to inquire about compliance and to have your systems tested. In addition to obvious computer hardware and software, systems that typically need to be verified include security and controlled-access systems, fire protection systems, automated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, financial systems, in-house registration, database, and record-management systems, etc. This type of planning will help to mitigate Y2K problems.
It should be noted that although midnight of December 31, 1999, is the most widely publicized date in the Y2K scenario, there are a number of additional dates that could cause problems in computer systems (e.g. http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/info2000/ introduction/DangerDates_E.htm). These dates will typically be verified in standard Y2K testing procedures.
But what if...? Even with the most thorough risk management actions, it is prudent to have a contingency plan in place to deal with any ‘surprises' on January 1, 2000. This disaster plan should focus on problems that could occur as a result of some malfunction, either within your institution or outside it. Apart from the problems shared with other types of businesses, museums also have some specialized concerns. Some of the particular risks that impact a museum and its collections are outlined below.
Power Failure—One of the most extreme failures that can be envisaged, a power failure would affect a range of systems relating to security, fire protection, and temperature and relative humidity, in addition to the daily operation of your museum. Even with an emergency power backup for your museum, what level of operation could you maintain? Who would be responsible for operating and maintaining the emergency backup system? How much fuel would be available and how long would it allow you to provide power?
Security and Controlled Access Systems—A power failure or computer malfunction could disable your security and controlled access systems. How vulnerable would your institution be if the automated security system failed? Would a failure allow unauthorized access to the building or to collections? Would your closed-circuit television cameras and video recorders continue to function? Would the failure of your controlled access system deactivate your key cards, impeding you and your staff from entering the building? Are your building security staff designated as ‘essential personnel' who would remain on-site throughout an emergency situation? If they were on-site for a prolonged period of time, could you ensure they were warm, fed (without increasing the fire risk), and had functioning toilet facilities? If extra security personnel would be required to assist during this time period, are they identified and reserved now?
Fire Protection—A standard wet-pipe sprinkler system will remain functional during a power failure, but only if the water pressure is maintained and the temperature remains above freezing. A pre-action system, which depends on a signal from a detector to charge the system with water, may not operate at all in the case of a power or computer failure. Therefore, special attention will have to be paid to fire risks, especially if heaters, fuel for portable generators, etc. are introduced into your museum facility during a power failure.
Temperature and Relative Humidity—A power failure or failure of the HVAC system could leave you without temperature and humidity control. Generally, slow cooling (such as that which occurs in a building without heat) should not cause major damage to works of art or artifacts. Some objects may become more fragile when cold, but this should not cause a problem unless they are moved.
The primary risk during a period of no temperature or humidity control is damp and mould, and this is more common in regions where the exterior conditions are wet. Unfortunately, without power not much can be done to overcome damp or mould, although increased ventilation and a slight increase in temperature through the use of equipment powered by portable generators might be considered. The fact that Y2K incidents will take place during the cold season is an advantage for Canadian museums, as lower temperatures diminish the rate of mould growth.
When systems are reactivated, a rapid return to normal temperature and relative humidity levels could cause problems; a two-stage temperature increase is safer. First set the thermostat to about 10°C, wait for the building to equilibrate, and then reset the thermostat to normal comfort conditions. Good ventilation and monitoring of the relative humidity are also important. Slower ramping of temperature (smaller increments over a more prolonged period) may be carried out, but the benefits are small and this may impede other business resumption activities.
Water Damage—If the indoor temperature of your museum falls below 0°C, plumbing and wet-pipe sprinkler systems should be drained. Artifacts should be removed from the vicinity or they should be covered with sheets of polyethylene and raised off the floor if there is any risk of water damage. It is worth noting that if the interior temperature does go below freezing and the water has been turned off, problems might not be apparent until the building is warming up and the systems being restored.
Now is the time to review your own contingency plan. Does it cover all the above items? Does it establish not only the actions that would be undertaken in various circumstances, but also how you would know if a problem occurs, who would have the authority to activate the plan or parts of the plan, and who would be responsible for then carrying out various actions? How would you activate your plan if telephone service were disrupted? If you have a well-thought-out Emergency Response Plan (ERP), you will likely have little additional work to do to establish a Y2K contingency plan; and if you do not have an ERP, the impending Y2K threat may provide a good incentive to put one in place. At the very least, you should discuss some of the scenarios listed above, or others that might occur in your institution, and plan some appropriate response. Finally, if you are considering utilizing any emergency backup equipment (such as portable generators or heaters), ensure that your staff are familiar with their operation in advance, and that they are being used safely and in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations.
How likely is it that we will encounter any of these problems? Testing by major utilities such as Ontario Hydro has been ongoing for some time, and they generally report a high state of readiness. Peter de Jager, one of the earliest experts to warn of Y2K problems, now feels that in North America "we have avoided the doomsday scenarios" (Toronto Globe & Mail, April 28, 1999, p. A10). de Jager states further that, while he feels that 2- to 3-week disruptions of services are unlikely, preparing for a disruption of this length "is sufficient to handle what Y2K might throw at you" (http://www.year2000.com/archive/ y2khowbad.html). This is an educated guess from a man who has studied the problem extensively, but unfortunately no one can be sure of the risk or the magnitude of the problem.
At CCI, our staff will be happy to answer your questions about emergency planning; contact us by e-mail (cci-icc_services@pch.gc.ca) or telephone (613-998-3721). We will even be available (by phone) over the New Year's weekend, 24 hours per day! If there are significant disruptions, we will be prepared to act in an advisory capacity and if necessary assist institutions in recovery and salvage operations.
Here's hoping we can all toast the new millennium without incident!
