Disaster Planning: the Keystone of a Business Continuity Plan for Your Library Daniel T. Wilson, Assistant Director for Collection Management

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Disaster Planning the Keystone of a Business
Continuity Planfor Your LibraryDaniel T.
Wilson, Assistant Director for Collection
Management Access Services, University of
Virginia Health Sciences LibrarySusan Yowell,
Project Assistant, University of Virginia Health
Sciences Library
1. Understand the risk situation for your area using disaster declaration maps, FEMA site, Homeland Security site, and state emergency management sites. 2. Identify the services most important to your patrons using data from surveys, focus groups, and usage statistics, etc. 3. Convene specialists, i.e. web manager, IT manager, licensing manager, public services director, disaster planning team, and conduct a scenario-based tabletop exercise in order to formulate contingency plans. 4. Designate possible off-site work areas for essential services, such as interlibrary loan and information services. Arrange for access to required systems. 5. Purchase online versions of your core materials but keep print available in the event of cyber-terrorism or widespread electrical outage. 6. Establish agreements with other libraries regionally and nationally in order to provide backup for essential services. 7. Institute live chat connections for your library and its patrons so they are familiar with remote communication. 8. Create an emergency web page that can be used in the aftermath of a disaster, offering general information, online help, services available off-site, and telephone numbers for staff on call. 9. Designate alternate storage areas for valuable or irreplaceable items in the event of an impending emergency such as an approaching hurricane. 10. Update your Disaster Plan regularly and maintain training of staff who are first responders.
Ten Tips for Keeping Your Services Available
Following a Disaster
Hurricane KatrinaGulfport Public
LibraryMississippi
Photo by Nadine Dexter
Hurricane KatrinaGoogle Earth image of storm
surge damage along Gulf Coast near Biloxi,
Mississippi
Tornado DamageSumter Regional Hospital
Americus, Georgia
Source www.sumter.fastcommand.com/index_fastcomma
nd.php
Earthquake Risk
Nuclear Power Plants
Avian Flu
Source www.pandemicflu.gov/
Source Newshour report, Public Broadcasting
Service
Source FEMA publication titled Taking Shelter
from the Storm Building a Safe Room Inside Your
House
Source Ritter, Michael E. The Physical
Environment an Introduction to Physical
Geography. 2006
Source United States Geological Survey
Source www.sea-dp-tf.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
Source www.dtw2t.wordpress.com/