Book excerpt: Protecting Historic Architecture and Museum Collections from Natural Disasters serves as a useful guide for professionals engaged in the preservation of cultural heritage, whether structures or artifacts. This book discusses how to prevent losses to the cultural heritage of structures and artifacts through more knowledgeable protection, prevention, and emergency response. Organized into six sections encompassing 26 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the mechanisms for preserving and protecting the heritage. This text then examines the threats of destruction by the natural elements such as decay, air pollution, subsidence, and other forms of attrition. Other chapters consider the social functional and economic values of the buildings and museum objects. This book discusses as well the natural disaster policies within a society. The final chapter deals with the enlistment of the private sector in dealing with catastrophes rising out of fire, earthquake, flood, and other natural disasters. This book is a valuable resource for conservation specialists, archivists, private collectors, dealers, curators, and librarians.