Guide #18. Disaster Management in the
Church and Synagogue Library
Nadia J. Martin, M.L.I.S. 14 pages. $8.00, members $6.50
CSLA member Nadia J. Martin has just completed our latest guide, Disaster Management in the Church and Synagogue Library. Martin begins with “This guide is written for staff in church and synagogue libraries. These libraries traditionally have small collections, limited funding, and volunteer staff. The information in this guide can help you prepare for natural and ‘unnatural’ disasters. It will provide you with the tools you need to create a customized disaster plan for your church or synagogue library. It will help you minimize the costs and loss of value of your collection due to disaster.”
Some of the questions answered that you will find are:
Do I need to get a rider for the insurance policy?
How do I prepare a Collection Retention Plan?
Why can’t I just use another library’s disaster response plan?
How do I assess the value of the library?
What emergency supplies should I have on hand?
What about videos, audiotapes, diskettes, etc. (i.e. magnetic tape materials)?
What do I do with the damaged items that are retrieved from the library?
How do I dry books and papers that are slightly wet?
How do I handle photographs?
What can I do to minimize water, fire, and insect damage to collections?
A list of additional resources is included, as well as a list of commercial disaster recovery companies. Martin is the librarian at the First Presbyterian Church in Plymouth, Michigan. She is a reference librarian at the University of Michigan and freelances as a research analyst. The Publications Committee of CSLA would like to thank the university for giving her access to research materials used in preparing this document as part of her professional activities as a UM librarian.
Table of Contents
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
How much will this cost?
Acknowledgments
PART I: THE DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN
What is a disaster response plan?
What is a disaster?
How do I write an effective disaster response plan?
How do I identify which disasters can happen to the library?
Do I need to cover every possibility?
Why can't I just use another library's disaster response plan?
How do I assess the value of the library?
Why do I need to determine the value of the library?
Do I need to get a rider for the insurance policy?
Shouldn't I plan on saving everything?
How do I prepare a collection retention plan?
Why do I need to know the chain of command?
What are the components of a disaster recovery plan?
Who should I include on my contact list?
What information should be on the floor plans?
What emergency supplies should I have on hand?
Do I need procedures for each type of disaster?
What about videos, audiotapes, diskettes, etc. (i.e., magnetic tape materials)?
Who should I include on my volunteer recovery team?
What do I include on the inventory sheets?
How often should I review the plan?
PART II: RECOVERY BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A DISASTER
What do I do when the disaster occurs or is announced?
How do I assess the damage?
How do I know what to recover and what to discard?
What do I do with the damaged items that are retrieved from the library?
What do I do with water-soaked books or archival material?
What order should I follow?
How do I dry books and papers that are slightly wet?
What about valuable items?
How do I handle photographs?
What do I do with magnetic tape media?
What if a disaster happens that isn't covered in the plan?
What if I miss a step or skip a step?
What if I need more help than just my team?
What else should I do?
PART III: PREVENTING AND MINIMIZING DAMAGE DUE TO DISASTER
How frequently should I perform these inspections?
What should I do if my building or library is being renovated?
Do I need to purchase or install expensive equipment?
Is there anything else I can do to minimize losses?
Where else can I get help?
