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 organization’s future. An emergency plan is a document
which describes the procedures devised to prevent and prepare for disasters,
and those proposed to respond to and recover from disasters when they
occur. The responsibility for performing these tasks is allocated to various sta
members who comprise 'the disaster team'. Disaster planning might not seem a
pressing concern - until disaster strikes. A comprehensive disaster plan consists
of several independent but interrelated smaller plans. Every disaster has three
phases: before, during and after. A variety of plans is required to cope with each
of these phases. In the 'before phase', which corresponds to everyday routine
operations, two types of plan should be in operation: preventive and preparedness.
Preventive plans recommend actions that will prevent most disasters. They
include recommendations such as the repair of leaking roofs, the improvement
of maintenance and the upgrading of security. Preparedness plans are designed
to ensure that identi ed disasters can be managed. They recommend actions
such as the identi cation of important items in the collection, the purchase of
plastic sheeting, the provision of freezing facilities and the training of sta to
enable them to respond to a variety of disasters. In the 'during phase' a response
to the disaster must be made. The e ectiveness of the response is governed by
the thoroughness of the preparedness plan. 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. The accounts of actual events highlight
the real-life challenges faced and the e ectiveness of appropriate solutions.
The book Emergency Planning and Response for Libraries, Archives and Museums
is a valuable tool for all those who work with collections in libraries, archives,
museums and historic houses internationally, whether large or small. It will be of
invaluable tool for records managers in companies, local authorities and healthcare
agencies.