Training Opportunity for Records, IT, and Emergency Management Officials

The Essential Records (ER) Webinar is one of two courses developed by the Intergovernmental Preparedness for Essential Records (IPER) project. Teams in each state and territory will be delivering these webinars to state and local governments and now is your chance to participate!

Who should take this course? State, local, territorial, and tribal employees who are responsible for creating and maintaining government records of any kind and in any format, both paper and electronic.

What is covered in this course? This course prepares participants to:

• Identify an agency's essential records


• Analyze and prioritize records, assessing risks and identifying protection strategies


• Specify time frames for essential records availability in emergencies


• Develop proceedures to ensure access to and security of essential records


• Outline an essential records plan for inclusion in COOP


• Become familiar with federal, state, and local regulations and procedures
  

The Essential Records Webinar is a 7.5 hour course delivered in four sessions, is offered as an instructor led webinar with content specific to your state, and is offered FREE of charge!

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History and the Council of State Archivists (CoSA) are offering a great opportunity for South Carolina state and local records officials, county emergency management personnel, state or local IT staff, and other interested officials to take the online FEMA approved webinar– Essential Records. Essential Records are a component of the Continuity of Operations Plans created by state and local agencies.

The four-part course will be offered on September 21, 23, 28 and 30th from 10:00am -12:00pm and will include participants from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee. This is an online webinar format that involves accessing the course slide show on the internet at iLinc and listening to the audio via your telephone. This course will use a toll free number so there will be no costs associated with these sessions for attendees. Several staff members from an agency may participate using one internet and one phone connection but each must register separately.

To register for the course, please go too http://rc.statearchivists.org/. Each participant will need to create an account (this is FREE) by selecting “Setting up Your Course Participant Account” under the “IPER Courses” tab. The page will instruct you on how to create your account. Once you have your account established, select the course titled ESS-ZZ-0001: Essential Records Webinar [Southeast region: AL-GA-SC-TN]. You will receive an email message confirming your registration.

For additional information on this FREE training, contact Heather South at 803-896-6112 or southh@scdahstate.sc.us

Summer Interns at the SHPO: Part 2

Much like the summer blockbuster movies this year, the State Historic Preservation Office has gone 3D! With help from summer intern Desmond Johnson, a native of Columbia and an architecture student at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, the SHPO explored ways to use 3D models to document historic buildings and to enhance SHPO training programs for local design review boards. Desmond created models using free Google Sketchup software that allows architects and novices alike to create virtual built environments to scale in 3D. Desmond used measured drawings of historic buildings in the SHPO files to create the 3D models. Each model took, on average, 18 to 20 hours to construct.

Desmond first created a model of the historic Ridgeway Town Hall (based on drawings by Camden architect J. Stephen Smith). The Town Hall’s bell tower and arcaded corner entrance can be experienced in accurate detail and fully manipulated by the viewer to appreciate the building’s unique architecture from any angle. (see below)

Desmond also created a model of Darlington’s Carnegie Library (based on drawings by architect Benjamin Whitener of the Charleston firm of Cummings & McCrady). Recently renovated by the City of Darlington, the historic library is one of only a few surviving Carnegie Libraries in South Carolina. Sketchup allows the viewer to explore the architectural features of the old library, including its distinctive windows. (see below)

Not only was Desmond able to create stunning models of existing historic buildings, but he was also able to bring back to virtual life the historic Bethel A. M. E. Church in Laurens (based on drawings by Spartanburg architect Martin Meek) that, unfortunately, suffered catastrophic structural failure and partially collapsed in 2009. The church was forced to demolish the rest of the structure, but the architecture of historic Bethel A. M. E. Church can be experienced again thanks to the 3D model Desmond created. (see below) Desmond’s final 3D project this summer was to create a series of simple models that can be used to vividly illustrate concepts in design guidelines used by local historic design review boards and commissions. The models can be used by local officials and historic property owners to help in applying their local design review ordinance to proposed projects in their local historic districts. (see below)
This summer our interns helped us accomplish tasks and goals that otherwise would not have been possible with our staff focused on core duties. The SHPO appreciates their hard work and we look forward to working more in the future with this next generation of historic preservationists to preserve, promote, and protect South Carolina’s historic places.