Library Disaster: Preparedness

1
Library Disaster Preparedness Recovery

• An Overview by
• Darcel A. Bryant, AHIP
• Associate Librarian
• Howard University
• Washington, DC 20059

2
Goals

• Encourage every library to develop a disaster
  plan
• Help libraries minimize the impact of a disaster
• Provide information to restore collections and
  services in an optimum time

3
Kinds of Disasters

• Natural Disasters include
• Earthquake
• Fire
• Flood
• Hurricane

4
Natural Disasters have caused

• Damage to library collections and buildings
• Harm to staff and users
• Disruption to library services
• Xavier University Library - Louisiana
  Pass Christian Library - Mississippi
• Go to http//www.xula.edu/institutional-advance
  ment/RecoveryPhotos.html
• http//www.harrison.lib.ms/hur
  ricane/hurr_katrina_pc(ss).htm or
  http//www.folusa.org/html/Katrinams.html

FOR MORE INFO...
5
Libraries affected by Disasters
MA 1998 Flood Boston Public Library
CA 1998 Flood Stanford University Library
CA 1994 Earthquake California State
University Northridge Delmar T. Oviatt Library
CO 1997 Rain Storm Flood Colorado State
University Morgan Library
LA MS 2005 Hurricane Gulf Coast Libraries
The damages and lessons learned for each
library follows
6
1994 California Earthquake

• Northridge, CA
• 
  California State University
• 
  Delmar T. Oviatt Library
• Damage Structural damage to building.
• Lessons Learned Maintain shelving to meet
  latest standards. Record the arrangement of the
  library collections.
• Go to http//library.csun.edu/mfinley/quake
  .html or
• http//www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs
  /proceedings/99pro31.html

FOR MORE INFO...
7
1997 Colorado Flood

• Morgan Library
• Colorado State University
  Fort Collins, CO
• Damage water damage to materials and offices.
• Lessons learned Include restoration of library
  services (incl. reference, circulation, ILL) in
  your disaster plan.
• Go to http//lib.colostate.edu/develop/over
  view.html or
• http//www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs/
  proceedings/99pro31.html

FOR MORE INFO...
8
1998 California Flood

• Meyer Music Libraries
• Stanford University
• Stanford CA
• Damage water damage to collections (incl. GPO
  Docs., LP records, microfiche and books).
• Lessons Learned encourage and support collection
  emergency
  planning. Update your disaster plan and include
  staff training.
• Go to http//www-sul.stanford.edu/flood/plan
  .html or
• http//www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdlp/pubs
  /proceedings/99pro31.html

FOR MORE INFO...
9
1998 Boston Flood

• 
  
• 
  Boston Public Library
• 
  Boston, MA
• Damage water damage to materials (incl. GPO
  docs., microfiche and maps).
• Lessons Learned Include a chain of command in
  your plan. Assign responsibility for each aspect
  of the recovery process.
• Go to http//www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fdl
  p/pubs/proceedings/99pro30.html or
• http//www.bpl.org/guides/mckim.htm

FOR MORE INFO...
10
2005 Gulf Coast Hurricane

• 
  Libraries in
• New Orleans Mississippi
  Include
• 
  -Dillard Univ.
  Library
• 
  
  -Loyola Univ. Library
  
  
• 
  
  -LSU Health
  Sciences Center
• 
  
  -McNeese State Univ.
  Library
  
  -Mississippi State Univ.
  Library
• 
  
  -Southern
  Univ. Library
• 
  
  -U of Southern Miss. Library
• 
  
  -Xavier Univ. Library
• Tulane University
  Library
• Damage water damage to collections, equipment
  and buildings.
• Go to http//www.ala.org/ala/cro/Katrina/
  katrinadamage.htm or the Libraries Web page

FOR MORE INFO...
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Process for developing a plan

• Establish a disaster committee to develop rules
  and procedures.
• Get staff involved in planning, preparedness, and
  recovery.
• Maintain a record of the floor plans and the
  arrangement of collections.

FOR MORE INFO...
See handout- A selected bibliography of disaster
planning, preparedness and recovery
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Benefits of having a disaster plan

• Provides staff with clear procedures to follow
• Makes your library safe
• Minimizes damage
• Prevents panic during and after a disaster

FOR MORE INFO...
See handout- List of libraries and universities
with disaster plans
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Summary

• Disaster can happen to any library
• Be ready for a disaster
• Layout a plan of what needs to be done when a
  disaster strikes
• Train staff how the disaster plan operates
• Review, revise and rehearse your plan regularly

14
References

• American Library Association. Library Damage
  Report 2000 http//www.ala.org
• Amigos Library Services, Inc. A Disaster Plan for
  Libraries and Archives 2000. http//www.amigos.or
  g/disasterplan
• Stanford University Libraries. Preservation
  Department. CoOl Conservation Online
  http//palimpsest.stanford.edu
• Federal Depository Library Program. Proceedings
  of the 9th Annual Federal Depository Library
  Conference 2000.
• http//access.gpo.gov/su_docs.html

15
Acknowledgments

• Disaster Photos
• - www.stanford.edu
• - www.colostate.edu
• - www.csun.edu
• - www.bpl.org
• - www.htmllibrary.shutterfly.com
• - www.xula.edu
• - www.folusa.org
• Howard University Louis Stokes Health Sciences
  Library
• Larry S. Ellis, Director
• Marlene Mahoney, Building Manager
• Gary Goodman, SIGTECHS
• Mariano Alexander, Technician I