
Disaster Planning for Special Libraries
- 1st Edition - November 27, 2020
- Imprint: Chandos Publishing
- Author: Guy Robertson
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 1 0 0 9 4 8 - 2
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 1 0 1 0 5 0 - 1
Disaster Planning for Special Libraries contains a guide for developing and maintaining disaster plans for small special libraries and related work units.This volume serves as a re… Read more

Purchase options

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect
Request a sales quoteDisaster Planning for Special Libraries contains a guide for developing and maintaining disaster plans for small special libraries and related work units.
This volume serves as a reference resource, not only for people who have never considered the disaster planning process, but also for experienced planners interested in a variety of approaches to different aspects of planning.
The author discusses the role of the special librarian in the planning process and considers the relationship between special libraries and their host organizations. He emphasizes the importance of coordinating a special library’s plan with any in place for its host organization, and encourages librarians to demonstrate their planning skills for organization-wide benefits.
Early chapters summarize the initial phases of the planning process, which include preparedness and response measures. Subsequent chapters cover the assessment of damage to special library facilities and assets, the implications of declaring a disaster, the development of strategic alliances with key suppliers, orientation and training, succession planning, operational resumption, the normalization of library operations, and auditing a disaster plan. The concluding chapter discusses concerns that special librarians might have with regard to the future and its risks.
Appendices include examples of a risk assessment and analysis and a risk mitigation program, a strike and protest plan, an emergency equipment inspection and audit report, a pandemic management program, and disaster response manager’s kit.
This volume serves as a reference resource, not only for people who have never considered the disaster planning process, but also for experienced planners interested in a variety of approaches to different aspects of planning.
The author discusses the role of the special librarian in the planning process and considers the relationship between special libraries and their host organizations. He emphasizes the importance of coordinating a special library’s plan with any in place for its host organization, and encourages librarians to demonstrate their planning skills for organization-wide benefits.
Early chapters summarize the initial phases of the planning process, which include preparedness and response measures. Subsequent chapters cover the assessment of damage to special library facilities and assets, the implications of declaring a disaster, the development of strategic alliances with key suppliers, orientation and training, succession planning, operational resumption, the normalization of library operations, and auditing a disaster plan. The concluding chapter discusses concerns that special librarians might have with regard to the future and its risks.
Appendices include examples of a risk assessment and analysis and a risk mitigation program, a strike and protest plan, an emergency equipment inspection and audit report, a pandemic management program, and disaster response manager’s kit.
- Presents essential information in an accessible manner
- Considers the disaster-related needs and experiences of special library personnel
- Discusses a variety of risks to special libraries in different kinds of physical locations
- Offers different approaches to a broad range of disaster planning topics in special libraries
- Provides examples of essential planning documentation
Information professionals; corporate librarians/library board members and sponsors; managers responsible for security and planning; library directors; chief librarians; assistant librarians; senior library administrators in corporate libraries; security managers; technical services librarians; corporate IT librarians; Occupational Health and Safety (OHT) managers in corporate libraries; law librarians; medical and government librarians; library space planners; building services managers and maintenance staff in buildings that contain corporate library facilities; SLA members
- Cover image
- Title page
- Table of Contents
- Copyright
- Preface
- How to use this book
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- A note on terminology
- Chapter 1. A disaster planner for your library
- Abstract
- 1.1 The need for a plan
- 1.2 Consultants and their services
- 1.3 Before you hire a consultant
- 1.4 On your own
- 1.5 Self-assessment for your planning purposes
- 1.6 Other valuable skills
- Chapter 2. First challenges
- Abstract
- 2.1 Location
- 2.2 Apathy: causes and effects
- 2.3 Fear
- 2.4 Other people’s problem
- 2.5 “Chicken Little”
- 2.6 Disbelief and denial
- 2.7 Misplaced confidence
- 2.8 Magical thinking
- 2.9 Beginning with history
- 2.10 Human memory
- 2.11 Consult the files
- 2.12 The media
- 2.13 Reminders
- 2.14 The next step
- Chapter 3. Assessing risks to your library
- Abstract
- 3.1 Name that plan
- 3.2 Basic classification of risks
- 3.3 Natural disasters
- 3.4 Technological disasters
- 3.5 Human-caused disasters
- 3.6 Security risks
- 3.7 Negative events related to proximity
- 3.8 Crises
- 3.9 Enterprise risks
- 3.10 Combinations of risks, and the need for living documents
- Chapter 4. Preparedness and risk mitigation
- Abstracts
- 4.1 Will it sell?
- 4.2 The packaging
- 4.3 Likelihood
- 4.4 Vulnerability
- 4.5 Business impact
- 4.6 Risk mitigation programs (RMPs): essential elements
- 4.7 Budget and implementation scheduling
- 4.8 Auditing and updating
- Chapter 5. Emergency and disaster response
- Abstract
- 5.1 The priority: you
- 5.2 Emergency/disaster response plan characteristics
- 5.3 Practice and drills
- 5.4 Dealing with emotional responses
- Chapter 6. Assessing the damage
- Abstract
- 6.1 Mental reactions
- 6.2 External and internal inspectors
- 6.3 Your safe inspection of the library
- 6.4 Initial inspection: general effects
- 6.5 Secondary inspection: specific effects
- 6.6 Damaged collections
- 6.7 Final assessment
- 6.8 Prioritization
- 6.9 Recordkeeping
- Chapter 7. Event recognition, disaster declaration, and crisis management
- Abstract
- 7.1 Declaration
- 7.2 Communications and the right perspective
- 7.3 Notification
- 7.4 A relative scale
- 7.5 Decision-making data
- 7.6 Decision to notify personnel and/or to declare a library disaster
- 7.7 Gray areas
- 7.8 The postdisaster special library spokesperson
- 7.9 Crisis management plan
- Chapter 8. Strategic alliances: Internal and external partners
- Abstracts
- 8.1 Assistance to host organizations
- 8.2 Strategic alliances for host organizations
- 8.3 Key alliances for special libraries: In-house
- 8.4 External alliances: Insurance
- 8.5 External alliances: Trades and technical
- 8.6 External alliances: Alternative locations and transportation
- 8.7 A sample strategic alliance program
- Chapter 9. Operational resumption, succession planning, and postdisaster workspace
- Abstract
- 9.1 The process of operational resumption
- 9.2 People and succession
- 9.3 Stabilizing the situation
- 9.4 Service above all: the foundation
- 9.5 Emergency operations centers and other alternative locations
- 9.6 Letting patrons and stakeholders know
- 9.7 Further communications
- Chapter 10. Postdisaster concerns of library personnel
- Abstract
- 10.1 Primary concerns
- 10.2 What about the library and its assets?
- 10.3 Are our jobs safe? What about our salaries?
- 10.4 Can we resume operations? When?
- 10.5 What about our data?
- 10.6 What about the future of our library?
- 10.7 The lone special librarian
- Chapter 11. Normalization
- Abstracts
- 11.1 What it means and what impedes it
- 11.2 A solution
- 11.3 Human resources
- 11.4 Library normalization plan
- Chapter 12. Orientation and training
- Abstract
- 12.1 An essential ingredient
- 12.2 Definitions and an example
- 12.3 Tabletop exercises
- 12.4 Risk assessment and analysis example
- 12.5 Sample tabletop exercises
- 12.6 Tabletop exercises for individual special library managers and supervisors
- 12.7 Pandemic tabletop exercise
- 12.8 Tabletop exercise management tips
- 12.9 Conclusion
- Chapter 13. Auditing your disaster plan
- Abstract
- 13.1 Key points
- 13.2 Your method: the necessary steps
- 13.3 A questionnaire
- 13.4 The audit report
- 13.5 The postevent audit and memo
- 13.6 Audit presentation and sign-off
- Chapter 14. Future concerns for special librarians: a personal view
- Abstract
- 14.1 Speculation
- 14.2 Thinking about negative events
- 14.3 Concerns about natural risks
- 14.4 Concerns about technological risks
- 14.5 Concerns about human-caused risks
- 14.6 Concerns about proximity risks
- 14.7 Concerns about security risks
- 14.8 Concerns about crises
- 14.9 Concerns about enterprise risks
- 14.10 Concerns about cascading risks
- 14.11 Doing things differently
- Appendix 1. Risk assessment and analysis: the Library and Records Centre of a Financial Services and Investments firm in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Table of contents
- I Introduction
- II Methodology
- III Risk assessment
- IV Risk analysis
- V Summary of recommendations
- Appendix 2. Law firm library: risk mitigation program
- Table of contents
- I Introduction: program purposes
- II Potential impact of negative events
- III Specific risk mitigation measures for work areas
- IV Specific risk mitigation measures for IT systems
- V Enhancements to security procedures
- VI Risk mitigation program auditing and testing
- Appendix 3. Western Petroleum Research Institute Library
- Strike and protest plan
- Table of contents
- I Introduction
- II Forms of strikes and protests
- III Before a strike or protest: preparedness
- IV During a strike or protest: response
- V After a strike or protest: debriefing and documentation
- Appendix 4. Emergency equipment inspection and audit report
- Table of contents
- I Introduction
- II Fire controls
- III Moisture controls
- IV First aid supplies
- V Emergency tools
- VI Emergency communications equipment and other resources
- VII Isolation supplies
- VIII The Fire Warden’s Kit
- IX Primary conservation supplies
- Appendix 5. Corporate library pandemic management program
- Preamble
- Overview
- First concerns
- Head librarian
- Library work units/staff members
- Appendix one
- Appendix two
- Appendix 6. Disaster response manager’s kit
- Ten steps to safety and operational resumption
- Section A: DRM situational safety procedures
- Section B: Disaster recognition and declaration procedures/record of events
- Section C: Damage assessment checklists
- Basement storage room
- Library IT assets: server room and workspace
- Stakeholders affected by the event
- The effects of the event on the local community
- The effects of the event on telephone services
- Section D: Strategic alliances
- Section E: Emergency communications procedures
- Section F: Emergency transportation plan
- Section G: Normalization program
- DRM’s residential emergency procedures
- Further reading
- Index
- Edition: 1
- Published: November 27, 2020
- No. of pages (Paperback): 320
- No. of pages (eBook): 320
- Imprint: Chandos Publishing
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN: 9780081009482
- eBook ISBN: 9780081010501
GR
Guy Robertson
Based in Vancouver, Canada, Guy Robertson is a senior instructor at Langara College, where he teaches library history, reference and readers’ advisory services, and records management. He is also an instructor in information security and risk management at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. He works as a consultant to organizations across North America, and has provided advice and services to libraries, archives, records centers, and museums in Europe and Asia. Mr. Robertson is noted for his research into book and manuscript theft, data loss and protection, and financial fraud and forgery. He has delivered keynote speeches, seminars, and workshops at conferences not only for librarians and archivists, but also for other professional and technical groups.
Affiliations and expertise
Justice Institute of British Columbia, Canada; Adjunct professor, University of British Columbia; Senior instructor, Langara CollegeRead Disaster Planning for Special Libraries on ScienceDirect