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.

This important book assesses the current state of disaster management in archives, libraries and museums in the UK and around the world, and provides recommendations for addressing current and future threats. Following an introductory outline of the topic and terminology, the authors provide a short history of the development of disaster management in the cultural heritage sector. They illustrate a basic framework for effective disaster management by reviewing disaster control plan practice from around the world. Through examining and identify the key issues affecting disaster management in archives, libraries and museums, the authors discuss a priority structure for future implementation. This book will be key reading for scholars and students of archive studies, library and information and museum management. It will also be extremely useful for professionals and policy makers involved in disaster management planning at a local and national level.

Offers instructions on writing and implementing disaster plans for libraries.

Libraries are in a unique position to aid communities during times of adversity, and this comprehensive handbook’s practical tools and expert guidance will help ensure that your library is thoroughly prepared for emergency response and recovery. Your library is a vital information hub and resource provider every single day, and that’s doubly true when calamity strikes. In fact, your library’s role as an “essential community function” during disasters is now encoded in U.S. law. Engaging as a partner in planning and preparedness will build much-needed community support should disaster strike, and even a basic plan will also save you time and stress later on. No matter where your library is in the disaster planning cycle, this handbook will make the process clearer and less daunting. You’ll get tools, activities, easy-to-adapt templates, and hands-on guidance on such topics as the six phases of disaster response; 15 first-hand accounts of library disaster planning or responses, helping you identify the library services most needed during a disaster; three essential factors that will shape the form of your disaster plan; preparing for hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, and earthquakes; ideas for connecting with your community’s emergency response teams; federal government planning resources; pointers on working with state and local governments; a sample Memorandum of Understanding to outline mutual support for a speedier recovery; recommended courses and training, many of which are free; targeted advice for archives and special collections; sample building inspection checklists; and recommended games to help children and families prepare.

Are you prepared? Whether you work with a special collection in a local archive or museum, in a large national library or managing records for a healthcare agency, an emergency plan is critical to your organisation’s future. Dadson draws on a decade of experience and award-winning training in this essential practical toolkit, enabling you to respond quickly and effectively to flood, fire and other emergencies. Expert advice is interwoven with cross-sectoral and international case studies drawn from high profile and smaller and medium-sized organisations offering a breadth of relevant experience and advice. Regardless of your time or cost constraints this text will outline exactly how to minimise risk, tackle real emergencies and ensure business continuity. Each chapter guides you through the essentials including: • an introduction to emergency planning in the information and heritage sectors • getting started on your plan • alarm raising and incident containment • the recovery operation • salvaging collections • critical documents such as priority lists, floorplans and disaster kits • business continuity and IT recovery • ensuring the plan’s efficacy • risk management and disaster prevention. Readership: This is the ultimate resource for all those who work with collections in libraries, archives, museums and historic houses internationally, whether large or small. It’s also an invaluable tool for records managers in companies, local authorities and healthcare agencies. Lastly it offers a concise introduction to emergency planning and response for international library and information students.

"This book brings together the latest scholarly research, theories, and case studies to investigate the scale and types of disasters that can impact a library"--

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.

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

Memory institutions such as libraries, archives, galleries and museums all share pressing concerns about preserving heritage, whether in the form of material and documentary cultural artefacts in collections, or in the form of new digitally born material. Recent incidents of natural disaster and cultural genocide, together with the global turn to digitization, have forced librarians, archivists and curators to rethink and restructure their primary modes of operation. Preservation management now sits at the top of the agenda for heritage institutions around the world, as collection development policies and practices are negotiated between libraries, museums, archives, funding agencies and governments. Historically separate cultural institutions are now converging to share limited resources, develop compatible ideologies and co-ordinate distributed collections. This forward-looking collection charts the diversity of preservation management in the contemporary information landscape, and offers guidance on preservation methods for the sustainability of collections from a range of international experts. The authors are connected to a wide international network of professional associations and NGOs, and have been selected not only for their specific expertise, but for the contribution they are making to the future of preservation management. The chapters cover: managing the documentary heritage: issues for the present and future preservation policy and planning intangible heritage: museums and preservation surrogacy and the artefact moving with the times in search of permanence a valuation model for paper conservation research preservation of audiovisual media: traditional to interactive formats challenges of managing the digitally born artefact preserving cultural heritage in times of conflict access and the social contract in memory institutions redefining 'the collection' in the 21st century. Readership: There is urgent need for heritage management initiatives and robust disaster planning that will safeguard our cultural heritage and recognize the right of the end-user to ownership of it. This is an informed and essential guide to managing collection and preservation strategies for anyone working in the library, archive, museum or broader cultural heritage sectors.

Much has happened in libraries and information in the last ten years and preservation and conservation issues have developed accordingly. The authors carried out a survey of around 500 British libraries to study preservation management practices over that period and the results of this questionnaire are the basis of this book. In analysing the responses it was clear that the fundamental issues about the access to and use of books were being addressed; preservation and retention of materials and media being the foundation of access. Having put the research into its historical context, the book moves on to the findings about management attitudes and practices. Policy issues are considered, and some of the national and international prescriptive policy documents issued by professional organizations are compared with those from the British libraries. The differences between the two form the basis of suggestions about how individual libraries might develop preservation policies and also what national policies could be considered. This is a book that will enable all librarians from all sectors to understand the importance and nature of preservation policies and to begin to create or improve their own.