Publisher's Synopsis
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 organizations 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 staff 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 identified disasters can be managed. They recommend actions such as the identification of important items in the collection, the purchase of plastic sheeting, the provision of freezing facilities and the training of staff to enable them to respond to a variety of disasters. In the 'during phase' a response to the disaster must be made. The effectiveness 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 effectiveness 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.
