Livingston Masonic Library |
The Empire State Mason Magazine |
The following article appeared in The Empire State Mason Magazine, an official publication of The Grand Lodge of the State of New York. To subscribe to the magazine, or to read more articles of Masonic interest, visit the ESM web site.
The Empire State Mason - Winter 2004 (p. 39)
by RW Richard A. Vang, Trustee
Masonic legend and symbolism describe those two mightly pillars, Jachin and Boaz, as having been cast hollow, to serve as safe repositories against inundation and conflagration for the records of Freemasonry-a simple and effective Disaster Recovery Plan. If only it were that easy.
A few years ago I was attending a graduate class called "Archives and Manuscripts". You all remember that particular Fall; my classes started in September of 2001. When the WTC towers were attacked, my immediate concern was for the people at Ground Zero and their loved ones around the world. But some time later, as I watched the footage that was repeatedly broadcast on TV, the librarian in me began to notice something else in those tragic images: paper.
Paper, of all things. Paper everywhere--floating, fluttering, spinning, falling to the ground--all from one source, but landing who knows where. Perhaps this was foremost in my mind because of the class I was taking, but, oddly enough, it is the single image that I carry in my head from 9/11. It was then that I realized how extensive a tragedy it was, not only in terms of people, but also in terms of business. What a mess. While it may seem irrelevant after the loss of loved ones, colleagues, and employees, a business must also pick up the pieces and try to keep on living. I wondered then if they had disaster recovery plans. I still wonder that today.
As Masons, we are blessed with a venerable, rich, and abundant material culture. It is unique. And it is fragile. It is our duty as stewards of our heritage to ensure that is survives beyond us--as individual Masons, as individual Lodges, and as a Grand Lodge. Think of what would have been lost if our Grand Lodge building had suffered a fate similar to those of the Trade Center. It seems extreme to even consider a similar tragedy; yet disaster can and does take many forms: Fire. Flood. Hurricane. Rain. Earthquake. Smoke. Mold. And lodges that are forced to close their doors.
That's right--a Lodge that folds is a tragedy that could lead to disaster--the furniture, documents, and paraphernalia could be thrown out, end up in the hands of antique dealers, or be simply left abandoned, and be lost forever. Don't assume that if your lodge is going to merge or fold that the Grand Lodge will automatically assume responsibility for your lodge's property. Consult the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge, or contact the Grand Lodge or the Livingston Library to determine the process and the procedures.
In my Masonic career, I have seen my lodge room in Cooperstown ruined by water damage during a re-roofing job, when the tarps blew off in a wind storm. In addition to repairing damage to the building, we had to have the altar completely refinished. As in many lodge buildings, leaks continued to plague us and our lodge furninshings years later, putting all the contents in great peril. Each lodge should take stock of the treasures it holds within its Temple, and determine what to do if disaster strikes.
This past August my home office suffered a similar fate when the tarps leaked during a roofing job. Luckily, I was at home, and scrambled to remove the contents of my office. The first items I removed were masonic documents, working files, and my Trustee's apron. I sacrificed my printer to the rain in the process of saving things near and dear to me.
A week after I had moved the items into my dining room, water damage struck again. Once again, I scrambled to relocate items to the living room. The only stack of papers that suffered damage were my working files for the Library, and ironically enough, on top of the pile was my wokring copy of the Library's current Disaster Recovery Plan. If that wasn't enough of a personal message, VW Tom Savini drove the point home by commenting that maybe we should all have our own private disaster recovery plans. I couldn't agree more. Take the time to cast your own Jachin and Boaz, Brothers. Do it for yourself, your family, and your lodge.
Disaster Recovery is only one of the few policies and procedures that the Library and Museum Committee and the Trustees of The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library of Grand Lodge have been working on. Recently, under the leadership of Committee Chairman and Board President RW Richard Eberle, the Committee have assembled into working sub-committees to review and revise a number of existing policies and initiatives, and to compose some new ones, including: acquisition, accession, and deaccession of library holdings; circulation of materials; insurance policies; publications/PR; and financial planning, fundraising, and endowments.
One important fundraising event being planned is the dinner/dance, chaired by RW Barry Mallah. An ad for the event is located in this issue of the ESM; please look for it as well as information on subscribing to the advertising journal for the event. Other events have been discussed for various locations around the state. Stay tuned.
Recently, professional conservators from Heritage Preservation, Inc., through funds awarded by the federal Institute for Museum and Library services, performed the Conservation Assessment Program at the Library. This two-day visit included the examination of storage procedures, exhibition space, environmental control, and institutional structure. The conservators will produce a comprehensive report, culminating in a series of short-, mid-, and long-term goals for maximizing the Library's effectiveness and efficiency in the areas examined. This report will be incorporated into the Library's existing strategic plan. The input of the conservators will also allow the Library to apply for public and private funds to implement the suggested changes. The CAP process is one more step in assuring that our Masonic heritage is being preserved, and being made accessible, in as responsible a manner as possible.
If you would like to help the Livingston Library, please contact RW Tom Savini at (212) 337-6620, or through the web site at www.nymasoniclibrary.org. As always, remember that your donation to the Livingston Masonic Library is tax deductible.
©2005, The Empire State Mason Magazine.