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COSTEP-CT Meeting Notes
Mar. 6, 2015.
At the office of the Connecticut League of History Organizations, Middletown, CT.
Present:
Kathy Craughwell-Varda (Conservation
Connection)
Jane Cullinane, CT State Library (CSL)
Tara Kennedy, Yale University
Lizette Pelletier, State Archivist, CSL
Liz Shapiro, CT League of History Organizations
Note taker: Jane
WEBSITE, EMAIL, CONSTANT CONTACT AND FACEBOOK
After a hiatus of one year, the group is coming back together. We have new website at http://costep-
ct.org/. We will update the website page called “Who Can Cultural Heritage Institutions Call for Help in a
Disaster http://costep-ct.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Who-can-you-call-for-help-flow-chart-2012-
10311.pdf. Tell Kathy Craughwell-Varda what changes are needed.
COSTEP-CT has an email address: csl.costep-c[email protected]. Tara Kennedy will monitor this email account
and reply on our behalf or forward to one of us as needed. We will begin to take turns at this, if the
account becomes very active.
We have a Constant Contact presence, associated with CSL’s Constant Contact presence, that will allow
us to send email to Steering Committee members, others interested in COSTEP-CT and other groups
such as librarians and town clerks that CSL has in its lists. Kathy Craughwell-Varda and Lizette Pelletier
are Administrators for this account. Kathy will add a box to the new website, so people can sign up to
add their names to the Constant Contact list. Jane Cullinane will share the old email distribution list
with Kathy as well.
Tara will create a Facebook page for COSTEP-CT. We’ll be able to have our Constant Contact emails
appear on the Facebook automatically. Tara will be the administrator for Facebook.
COSTEP-CT ACTIVITIES
We will reach out to other COSTEP-CT members about joining us at the next meeting. One of our
immediate goals will be to pass the by-laws and re-organization plan.
Individually, we have continued to reach out to town clerks, librarians and museum and historical
society staff when bad weather is approaching. Our next weather alert should warn of basement
flooding and other such damage as the heavy snow load begins to melt. The rule of thumb is that 10
inches of fresh snow represents 1 inch of rain. But compacted old snow contains more water and 4
inches of snow could represent 1 inch of water.
We want to create standard Weather Alerts or Action Templates that we can release when certain
types of weather events threaten. These alerts should include what to do and who to reach out to. In
addition, we can call and offer advice when we hear of an event. Jane is aware of broken pipes or leaks
from ice dams at the Ashford Public Library, Booth Library in Newtown, and the Rowayton Library in
Norwalk. Lizette mentioned the Sterling Town Hall where an enclosed courtyard full of 6 to 8 feet of