From Chapter 14: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

It is important for you to communicate with the staff as soon as possible after a disaster about the status of their workplace. This communication should continue on a regular basis throughout the recovery process. Publications received through the Federal Depository Library Program remain the property of the Federal Government. However, your library is responsible for the treatment and replacement of all publications damaged or destroyed in a disaster and should keep LSCM informed about the extent of the losses and the replacement efforts being made.

You will also have to work with insurance companies and adjustors who may have little experience working with libraries and/or Government publications.

Your decision on whether to use an outside disaster recovery service or library staff and management can depend on the extent of the disaster. For example, if staff are dealing with losses at home and come to the workplace to deal with the same type of losses, it can be demoralizing to the employees.

If a disaster recovery service is responsible for the recovery process, your library NEEDS to be aware that some of its recovery methods and processes may not be suitable for library materials. For example, there are several processes and products available for removing smoke odors that would actually damage library materials. Working with a disaster recovery service or temporary workers is different from working with regular library staff, and adjustments will NEED to be made in a variety of procedures.