Disaster Planning For Libraries

Libraries are constantly at risk. Every day, many libraries and their collections are damaged by fire, flooding, high winds, power outages, and criminal behaviour. Every library needs a plan to protect its staff, sites and collections, including yours. Disaster Planning for Libraries provides a practical guide to developing a comprehensive plan for any library. Twelve chapters cover essential areas of plan development; these include an overview of the risks faced by libraries, disaster preparedness and responding to disasters, resuming operations after a disaster and assessing damage, declaring disaster and managing a crisis, cleaning up and management after a disaster and normalizing relations, staff training, testing disaster plans, and the in-house planning champion. Provides a practical approach to developing a comprehensive plan for any library, big or small Supplements technical information with interviews and case studies Includes appendices covering pandemic management, moisture control, and library security

Offers instructions on writing and implementing disaster plans for libraries.

"This handbook provides an array of resources to enable library staff to serve their communities in disaster planning, response, and recovery"--

Libraries have always played a special role in times of disaster by continuing to provide crucial information and services. The Stafford Act of 2011, a federal government directive, designates libraries as among the temporary facilities delivering essential services, making a Continuity of Operations Plan imperative for libraries. Peppered with informative first-person narratives from librarians recounting emergency situations, Halsted, Clifton, and Wilson cover such topics as: An eight-step approach to developing a risk assessment planHow to draft a one-page service continuity planInformation on how to use mobile devices and social media effectively in times of disasterSample disaster plans, along with model exercises, manuals and customizable communicationsPublished in cooperation with the Medical Library Association (MLA), this nuts-and-bolts resource will enable libraries of all kinds to do their best while planning for the worst.

Disaster Planning for Special Libraries contains a guide for developing and maintaining disaster plans for small special libraries and related work units.This volume serves as a reference resource, not only for people who have never considered the disaster planning process, but also for experienced planners interested in a variety of approaches to different aspects of planning.The author discusses the role of the special librarian in the planning process and considers the relationship between special libraries and their host organizations. He emphasizes the importance of coordinating a special library’s plan with any in place for its host organization, and encourages librarians to demonstrate their planning skills for organization-wide benefits.Early chapters summarize the initial phases of the planning process, which include preparedness and response measures. Subsequent chapters cover the assessment of damage to special library facilities and assets, the implications of declaring a disaster, the development of strategic alliances with key suppliers, orientation and training, succession planning, operational resumption, the normalization of library operations, and auditing a disaster plan. The concluding chapter discusses concerns that special librarians might have with regard to the future and its risks.Appendices include examples of a risk assessment and analysis and a risk mitigation program, a strike and protest plan, an emergency equipment inspection and audit report, a pandemic management program, and disaster response manager’s kit. Presents essential information in an accessible manner Considers the disaster-related needs and experiences of special library personnel Discusses a variety of risks to special libraries in different kinds of physical locations Offers different approaches to a broad range of disaster planning topics in special libraries Provides examples of essential planning documentation

Robertson on Library Security and Disaster Planning presents a collection of highly-cited, author published articles on security and disaster planning for libraries. The book represents the only place where these articles are compiled, making it a go-to volume for practitioners. It includes topics covering all aspects of preparation and response, along with articles drawn from library journals, including Feliciter, Canadian Insurance, Disaster Recovery Journal, and Canadian Bookseller. The book represents a wealth of the author's experience and expertise garnered during a distinguished career working with significant institutions on both their current security problems and their plans for future security. Offers a unique and valuable collection of the author's articles on library security and disaster planning Accompanies, and complements, Disaster Planning for Libraries, a second title by the author Presents a range of security and disaster planning topics in an accessible, narrative style Represents the only resource that contains such a broad range of security and disaster planning topics

Disaster planning might not seem a pressing concern - until disaster strikes. Recent events have reminded us that any collection or service may be at risk, and libraries and archives must have prevention and recovery measures in place. Written by academics and practitioners, drawing on firsthand experience and research worldwide, including Australia, Scandinavia and the USA, Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives reviews and explains the importance and scope of disaster management planning, and what can be done before, during and after incidents. The book begins by explaining how to develop a disaster control plan, outlining the different phases from prevention to recovery, and goes on to provide guidance on risk assessment and management methods which should underpin disaster planning. Individual chapters then focus on fire and flooding, bringing together lessons learned from recent disasters in the UK with case study material including information on prevention systems and reaction and recovery measures. A chapter on cooperative projects in the USA follows, providing examples of how collaborative partnerships and networks can be organized so that help, expertise and resources can be shared to facilitate management of disasters. The effect on people, both employees and users, must never be overlooked; this is the emphasis of the second half of the book. Research on the impact of a major library fire in Sweden forms the basis of the next chapter, which explains how the psychological impact of disasters on both staff and the local community can be managed. The following chapter describes the devastating effects on cultural institutions and their staff of war in Croatia in the early 1990s and extraordinary achievements against the odds. Ways of maintaining immediate, temporary service continuity along with planning for long-term restoration of services are exemplified by a case study of the fire at the Central Library of Norwich. Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives offers advice and insight for managers beginning to work on or reviewing disaster management within their organizations. The accounts of actual events highlight the real-life challenges faced and the effectiveness of appropriate solutions, while the guide to information sources at the end of the book signposts readers to a wealth of other useful material.

Despite the volumes of information they contain, few libraries know how to prepare for, endure, and survive any type of disaster. This completely updated second edition of Emergency Preparedness for Libraries provides library management with a comprehensive guide to planning and executing emergency procedures. Emergency Preparedness for Libraries provides library personnel with detailed instructions for protecting staff, patrons, and the facilities themselves, including: Steps to take now, before disaster strikes People and procedures to include in an emergency/disaster action plan Practical ways to turn written plans into an instinctual team response Safety considerations to take into account when caring for people on-site during an emergency Information to provide to the umbrella organization and the media after a disaster Key things to do the first few days after an event Tips for getting back to business