Library Disaster Preparedness & Response: Disaster Preparedness

This document is designed to assist libraries and archives in preparing for emergency situations
which may threaten the safety of persons, collections and facilities. Whether your institution has
a minimal amount of time to devote to emergency planning or is undertaking a comprehensive
planning project, this disaster plan can help you to gather vital information which will be
invaluable in the event of an emergency.

Your school library may someday be affected by a natural disaster, fire or an act recognized by the federal government as terrorism. Being prepared ahead of time can help minimize the potential damage, shorten your library’s recovery time, and go a long way to helping your student population cope with the aftermath of any disaster.

Working for the protection of the world's cultural heritage by coordinating preparations to meet and respond to emergency situations.

The COSTEP Framework is a planning tool designed to bring together cultural institutions with emergency management agencies and first responders. It provides a blueprint for preparing for area-wide disasters and building alliances with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies.

Part of disaster planning is knowing who to call for help and where to obtain services and supplies. Our Search tool allows you to search by state, multiple states nationally, or by type of service, expert, or supply. The results of your search can be downloaded into an Excel document for easy updating of your institution’s disaster plan.

Disasters can strike at a moment's notice so being prepared before they occur is an important step in ensuring the safety of you and your family.

A disaster resource database, originally built from the Philadelphia Area Emergency Resources List compiled by Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) with funding from The William Penn Foundation. The original design of this site was by the Preservation Department of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at Johns Hopkins University. The database information is maintained by Michigan State University Libraries and the California Preservation Program. Many other institutions and individuals have also contributed to the success of this website, providing information on suppliers and services for disaster recovery. This site is now hosted and maintained by FAIC as a component of Conservation OnLine (CoOL). Experts in many arenas of material culture conservation have also contributed to this site and can provide assistance in the event of a disaster.

Disaster planning is an essential component of preserving your institution’s collections. With a written disaster plan, libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other collection-holding institutions can reduce the risk of disaster and minimize losses. dPlan is perfect for small and medium-sized institutions that do not have in-house preservation staff. dPlan is also valuable for large library systems or museum campuses that need to develop separate but related plans for multiple buildings, locations, or branches.

Being prepared for emergencies and disasters is essential to preserving collections and family heirlooms. Being prepared means taking precautionary measures and knowing what to do in an emergency.

A helpful guide prepared by StateofFlorida.com

This section of the site provides information on how you can plan and prepare to protect your family, property, and community from natural and manmade disasters.

Offers general information, risk assessment, help with writing disaster plans, training, continuity planning, and copperative emergency agencies.

This code describes principles and practices of protection for cultural resource properties (such as museums, libraries, and places of worship), their contents, and collections, against conditions or physical situations with the potential to cause damage or loss.

Offers a variety of training and online courses for people who have emergency management responsiblities. All are offered free of charge.

Lyrasis often offers classes on disaster preparedness in collaboration with NEH. If a course is not currently offered, contact them to schedule one.

RAP organizations offer training and educational programs for professional collections managers. Topics range from environmental monitoring and disaster planning and mitigation, to housekeeping for historic houses and preserving electronic records.