The CDC is updating this site http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ frequently at this point, in order to help everyone stay current with the swine flu situation.  See the “CDC Health Advisory” on this page for the most current information.  I heard on NPR today that Mexico has closed churches, schools, concert halls, and other public spaces to try and slow the spread of the disease.  Should these social-distancing measures be enacted for public spaces, including libraries in the U.S., be aware of measures that libraries can take to keep resources and core services available to their patrons even if their buildings are closed.  Have an alternate home page ready, to show altered hours, to highlight online resources, and to offer online chat services to patrons who need help.  Also remember to change the voice mail message on your library’s main telephone to reflect changed hours and availability of online resources and services.

Here is more information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, available on their Pandemic Flu web site:  http://www.pandemicflu.gov/  The Swine Flu Info widget from HHS is available there to be copied into web pages–this will provide quick access to “Information,” “Investigation,” and “What you can do” sources.

Click here to see a page that gives an excellent explanation of what a table-top exercise is, and how to create and run one.  The author is Joe Olivo, of Strohl Consulting Services.  Joe is a Certified Business Continuity Planner, and while the page notes that he has consulted with financial institutions, law firms, and businesses, I think that his advice can be easily adapted for just about any type of institution, including libraries large and small.  It’s a good example of providing information that is general enough to be adapted, while specific enough to be helpful. 

I particularly like this part:  “Based upon the effectiveness of the pre-exercise meetings, the exercise will almost run by itself with team members knowing what has to be accomplished. Exercising is a primary means of training. In any actual recovery effort, the best team members are usually those who have participated in exercises.”

We are beginning monthly training sessions here at UVa’s HSL with staff who are responsible for emergency response, using a table-top exercise each month for a different scenario.  The first scenario was an epidemic of influenza, in which the library’s staffing was compromised.  We talked through how the library would be opened, how to determine if it should stay open, how core services would be maintained, how patrons would be notified if necessary.  We were able to address questions about communication and availablility of various resources, among others, and found the exercise to be quite helpful.  Our staff enjoyed working through the scenario, and felt better prepared to respond afterward.

Dan also used table-top exercises in training sessions for NN/LM’s RML staff and emergency response coordinators this year, and the exercises were very effective in helping everyone understand their roles and how the established plan would be implemented across a given scenario and by the various “players.”  Many thanks to Joe Olivo and Strohl for making this information available in such an accessible format.

I’ve re-titled the Toolkit page that was called “First Aid Kit.”  The page is now called “Ready Reference.”  While the page can still function as “First Aid” for those of us coordinating emergency responses, it needed a new name in order to keep internet searchers from finding the NN/LM EP & R Toolkit when they wanted to find boxes with band-aids and alcohol swabs in them.  I also enhanced the Ready Reference page a bit, adding the full text of the NN/LM EP&R Plan and the flowcharts for preparedness and response, and will be on the lookout for other key items for preparedness and response.  In fact, the Ready Reference page is, in essence, a toolkit within the toolkit.

The Medical Library Association (MLA) is providing a distance education opportunity via webcast for members on Wednesday, November 12, from 1-3 PM Central time, in which presenters will speak about their experiences in dealing with disasters.  Dan Wilson will also contribute information about NN/LM’s activities in emergency preparedness.  The class is entitled “Survival Tips and Stories:  Expanding the Library’s Services in Times of Disaster.”  Click here for the page on the MLA website that gives information.  Speakers Ethel Madden, Julie Page and Marty Thompson all have fascinating stories to tell about disasters they have experienced first-hand, and will share many lessons-learned and recommendations for all of us to consider in helping our libraries to be prepared for emergencies.  Don’t miss it!

Among the wealth of information available from CDC is their section on Emergency Response, this month highlighting information needed by health professionals as well as the public, in responding to/recovering from a hurricane.  “Below the fold” on the Hurricanes page is a section called “Information for You,” which looks like a great place for health science librarians to go for information that would be helpful to health care professionals and community members responding to any disaster situation.  See the ”Health Professionals“ page linked there for an excellent list of topics and pertinent information for clinicians as well as consumers.  

In addition, CDC has created a mobile web site, accessible via cell phone and other mobile browsers, where people can access hurricane recovery information.  Both features mentioned here are valuable resources for librarians concerned about continuity of access to health-related information for their patrons, whether professionals or community members.

While we are anticipating the “end” of hurricane season, it’s a good time to take stock of our current situations–are our plans up-to-date?  Is it time to start putting a plan together for your library?  Do we need to squirrel away some extra supplies, like plastic sheeting or flashlight batteries?  We’re fortunate to have so many excellent resources available to help us in our emergency preparedness efforts, and here’s a reminder of two rich sources for guidance and some checklists to keep us on target:

SOLINET:  their site has been re-designed.  Go to the Resources section, the Preservation tab, then check out the Disaster Resources page, linked in the left side menu bar.  Very comprehensive information; I recommend a “shopping” approach if you don’t need the whole store.  Some interesting classes coming up, too…I’m taking the one on Risk Management in November.

NEDCC:  here’s the link to their page listing all the Preservation leaflets that are available from the site…scroll down on the page to Emergency Management to find their process for disaster planning as well as a “fill-in-the-blank” disaster plan.

Happy shopping!

Following is an announcement of a new resource made available by the Library of Congress.  In addition to listening to the stories, check out the links on the left side of the Preservation pages for a wealth of resources for libraries preparing for or responding to disasters.  

“For the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, in commemoration and in light of the current hurricane season, the Library of Congress announces a Web site titled “Learning from Katrina,” which provides insights for better responses to record and artifact damage by hurricanes.

On this site, www.loc.gov/preserv/emergprep/katrinarespond.html, visitors can hear seven interviews with professional conservators who helped salvage collections affected in August 2005.In the interviews, responders discuss the lessons learned, their motivations, expectations and preparations, and their experiences. The interviews were conducted in 2006 at the Library of Congress by the Preservation Directorate, in collaboration with the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) and the American Folklife Center.”

Thanks to a newsletter I received today from Heritage Preservation, I learned about a new online, free course offering from the Northeast Document Conservation Center  (NEDCC) called “Preservation 101.”  The class is aimed specifically toward librarians and other caretakers of cultural resources who work in small and moderate-sized libraries or organizations.  (A link to NEDCC is also located on the toolkit in the right column under “Comprehensive Disaster Plan Training,” the North East section.) 

As a side note, I recommend that people sign up to be on the mailing list for Heritage Preservation if they are interested in conservation and preservation activities or current awareness ofnthe topic.  The emails I receive from them are few and far-between and are always contain articles or information relevant to our interests in emergency preparedness.

The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) has its own CERT!  However, theirs is a Collections Emergency Response Team, rather than a Community ERT.  See the AIC-CERT web page for a description of their mission and capabilities.  They are the “Rapid Response Team for Cultural Institutions,” and they specialize in helping out small organizations where there is not enough manpower or expertise to deal with damage to collections.  They have a 24/7 phone number:  (202) 661-8068.  On the website, there is also a brochure in PDF that you can download and print.  Federal funding has provided AIC-CERT assistance to libraries and other cultural institutions in the Midwest this year after the flooding, and now in Texas after Hurricane Ike.

Many thanks to Holly Herro, Conservation Librarian, NIH/NLM, History of Medicine Division, and one of the conservators trained as part of the AIC-CERT project, for the heads-up about this very valuable and relevant resource.  She encourages any Network members, whose collections were damaged by the hurricane and who need help, to call the phone number listed above to reach AIC-CERT.

Heritage Emergency National Task Force, the folks who brought us the “Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel” and lots of other helpful advice and information, has a new page up on their site called Current Disaster Information , which gathers together many resources aimed specifically at dealing with damage from hurricanes and other powerful weather events and natural disasters.  The page also has a section where cultural institutions can submit damage reports and request assistance, along with the capability to view reports/requests already submitted.  Also, look for the free, downloadable “Guide to Navigating FEMA and SBA Disaster Aid for Cultural Institutions,” a little farther down the page.  This is a rich site, and deserves a close look at the many resources they have provided.  Thanks, Heritage Emergency TF!