Emergency Preparedness for Libraries

Despite the volumes of information they contain, few libraries, whose population at any given moment is as unpredictable as the weather, know how to prepare for, endure, and survive a disaster, whether natural or man-made, and even fewer put their know-how to paper. Emergency Preparedness for Libraries provides library management with a comprehensive guide to planning and executing emergency procedures.

Based, in part, on an emergency preparedness seminar the author has presented for the American Library Association, 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

In addition, the author examines possible scenarios and provides step-by-step solutions for all types of libraries—academic, school, public, and special—and all types of disruptions, including floods, fires, civil disturbances, and theft.