Here’s an outline of what we talked about at the THeSLA meeting with regard to creating disaster plans for our organizations.  Rather than focus on creating a comprehensive plan, which is the result of following the “Susan’s suggestions” thread here in the blog, I thought it might be more helpful to become aware of some alternatives that are already available to us and will not require the time commitment involved in creating a plan “from scratch.”  So the “20 Tips” topic evolved into “Successful Strategies for Emergency Response Planning.”

1. Consider the scope of planning you will need for collections, your facility, people in your building, and for continuing your services.

2.  Assess risks that exist in your area (natural, environmental, human-caused, facility).

3.  Prioritize your collection for salvage:  determine what is irreplaceable or core to your collection, and what is essential to your patrons.  Order supplies for dealing with a “water incident,” particularly (see salvage companies/vendors links here on the blog).  See the NEDCC’s Preservation Leaflets for instructions!

4.  Identify your essential services and make plans to continue them during an emergency, both on-site and from a remote location.  Develop partnerships with other libraries  and remember the RML’s emergency number:  1-800-DEV-ROKS!

5.  Some templates and/or guides to creating your plan:

• dPlan:  maintained by NEDCC, provides templates for creating your plan, walks you through step-by-step, offers links to more information about risk factors, saves your input so you can work in small increments of time, creates a nice PDF document for you when you’re done.
• PReP:  COSA’s Pocket Response Plan can be easily customized for libraries.  It is available as a Word document or in PDF format at their site.
• SOLINET’s disaster planning guide:  offers a template, lists of resources for salvage companies and supplies, etc.
• in planning for safety of people, consult existing sources for appropriate procedures…your institution’s critical incident management site (the one for UVa), a university’s emergency response information, FEMA, Homeland Security, your state’s Emergency Management web site.

6.  Plan to update your plan regularly, at least once a year.  Re-assess your risk situation and make sure all contact information is up to date.

7.  Stay in touch!  Check the blog (this one!) frequently for updates, be aware of local circumstances that may have an effect on your planning.  Bookmark the NN/LM RML’s Emergency Preparedness web site and keep up with their planning.  If you have questions, or would like to make suggestions, please send me an email:  ssy2n@virginia.edu.  Good luck!

Here’s an outline of what we talked about at the THeSLA meeting with regard to creating disaster plans for our organizations. Rather than focus on creating a comprehensive plan, which is the result of following the “Susan’s suggestions” thread here in the blog, I thought it might be more helpful to become aware of some alternatives that are already available to us and will not require the time commitment involved in creating a plan “from scratch.” So the “20 Tips” topic evolved into “Successful Strategies for Emergency Response Planning.”

1. Consider the scope of planning you will need for collections, your facility, people in your building, and for continuing your services.

2. Assess risks that exist in your area (natural, environmental, human-caused, facility).

3. Prioritize your collection for salvage: determine what is irreplaceable or core to your collection, and what is essential to your patrons. Order supplies for dealing with a “water incident,” particularly (see salvage companies/vendors links here on the blog). See the NEDCC’s Preservation Leaflets for instructions!

4. Identify your essential services and make plans to continue them during an emergency, both on-site and from a remote location. Develop partnerships with other libraries and remember the RML’s emergency number: 1-800-DEV-ROKS!

5. Some templates and/or guides to creating your plan:

• dPlan: maintained by NEDCC, provides templates for creating your plan, walks you through step-by-step, offers links to more information about risk factors, saves your input so you can work in small increments of time, creates a nice PDF document for you when you’re done.
• PReP: COSA’s Pocket Response Plan can be easily customized for libraries. It is available as a Word document or in PDF format at their site.
• SOLINET’s disaster planning guide: offers a template, lists of resources for salvage companies and supplies, etc.
• in planning for safety of people, consult existing sources for appropriate procedures…your institution’s critical incident management site (the one for UVa), a university’s emergency response information, FEMA, Homeland Security, your state’s Emergency Management web site.

6. Plan to update your plan regularly, at least once a year. Re-assess your risk situation and make sure all contact information is up to date.

7. Stay in touch! Check the blog (this one!) frequently for updates, be aware of local circumstances that may have an effect on your planning. Bookmark the NN/LM RML’s Emergency Preparedness web site and keep up with their planning. If you have questions, or would like to make suggestions, please send me an email: ssy2n@virginia.edu. Good luck!

Dan’s presentation: http://www.slideshare.net/dtw2t/t-he-sla-presentation1107

Suggestion #17:  Information on prevention.  Once you’ve identified the emergency situations for which you are at risk, give some thought to whatever activities you can pursue in order to prevent or at least mitigate damage wherever possible.  For example:

•  prevent the spread of disease:  keep antibacterial hand cleaner at the service desks, recommend staff stay home when sick, get flu shots each year

• prevent fire:  provide a link to your fire marshall’s or institution’s fire prevention web page

• prevent flooding:  think about any areas like doorways or windows that might be susceptible to flooding; are there any measures that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of water coming in that way?

• prevent theft:  post signs throughout your public areas warning patrons not to leave valuables unattended.  Remind staff that even personal workspaces are not completely safe, and they should not leave purses or other valuable items unsecured. 

• prevent behavioral incidents:  review the access situation for your library; would it help to limit access during weekend/evening hours (requiring an ID, etc.) if you haven’t already done so?  Remind library staff to be vigilant and to notify the Emergency Response Coordinator or Circulation if they notice anyone who is behaving oddly or may present a behavioral problem.  Consider installing video surveillance cameras throughout your space if you haven’t already done so.

Incorporate prevention strategies in the training you provide to your first responders, but also send out reminders periodically to all library staff. Take literally the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Suggestion #17:  Information on prevention.  Once you’ve identified the emergency situations for which you are at risk, give some thought to whatever activities you can pursue in order to prevent or at least mitigate damage wherever possible.  For example:

•  prevent the spread of disease:  keep antibacterial hand cleaner at the service desks, recommend staff stay home when sick, get flu shots each year

• prevent fire:  provide a link to your fire marshall’s or institution’s fire prevention web page

• prevent flooding:  think about any areas like doorways or windows that might be susceptible to flooding; are there any measures that can be taken to lessen the likelihood of water coming in that way?

• prevent theft:  post signs throughout your public areas warning patrons not to leave valuables unattended.  Remind staff that even personal workspaces are not completely safe, and they should not leave purses or other valuable items unsecured. 

• prevent behavioral incidents:  review the access situation for your library; would it help to limit access during weekend/evening hours (requiring an ID, etc.) if you haven’t already done so?  Remind library staff to be vigilant and to notify the Emergency Response Coordinator or Circulation if they notice anyone who is behaving oddly or may present a behavioral problem.  Consider installing video surveillance cameras throughout your space if you haven’t already done so.

Incorporate prevention strategies in the training you provide to your first responders, but also send out reminders periodically to all library staff. Take literally the old adage: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Suggestion #16: Hurricane season housekeeping reminders: about the only upside of a long hurricane season is that we have some time to prepare, since it seems that most of the big storms don’t really get themselves together until later in the summer for the Southeast USA, however, we know one can happen anytime! Aside from the procedure for hurricane preparedness that’s in our disaster plan, here are some things we can all be doing now “just in case”:

• Make sure all your contact information is current, both for your staff and your vendors and other support organizations or people. Many people use only cell phones now, and their telephone numbers change more often than in the past when everyone used a “land” line.
• Check your disaster supplies: make sure there’s plastic sheeting for covering books and equipment, duct tape, and any other supplies you might need to protect your collection and facility.
• Check the SoliNet site for a list of vendors providing salvage services such as de-humidifying, freezing, etc.
• Walk around your library and note whether any collections have been re-located since the last time you updated your plan. Revise your salvage priority list if need be, i.e. if you had two hours to remove your most important materials from your library, do you know what you would take, how you’d pack them up, and where you’d put them?
• Think about what services, if any, you could offer from off-site in the aftermath of a hurricane. Can you arrange to access your library’s information from home? Is there a way to continue to provide help to your patrons with information/research needs if your library space isn’t available?
• Especially if you live in an area that is “hurricane prone,” such as Wilmington, NC or just about anywhere along the Gulf Coast and Florida, make sure you have a “Go Pack” ready at home in case you need to evacuate. Check your state’s emergency management website or the Homeland Security site for a list of what to keep ready at home.
• Remember the RML! Have contact information at hand, and at home, in case you need to send up a flare for help from the Regional Medical Library for your area.

Suggestion #16: Hurricane season housekeeping reminders: about the only upside of a long hurricane season is that we have some time to prepare, since it seems that most of the big storms don’t really get themselves together until later in the summer for the Southeast USA, however, we know one can happen anytime! Aside from the procedure for hurricane preparedness that’s in our disaster plan, here are some things we can all be doing now “just in case”:

• Make sure all your contact information is current, both for your staff and your vendors and other support organizations or people. Many people use only cell phones now, and their telephone numbers change more often than in the past when everyone used a “land” line.
• Check your disaster supplies: make sure there’s plastic sheeting for covering books and equipment, duct tape, and any other supplies you might need to protect your collection and facility.
• Check out the ProText disaster supplies site; they sell supplies and also offer tips on salvage techniques for water damaged materials.
• Check the SoliNet site for a list of vendors providing salvage services such as de-humidifying, freezing, etc.
• Walk around your library and note whether any collections have been re-located since the last time you updated your plan. Revise your salvage priority list if need be, i.e. if you had two hours to remove your most important materials from your library, do you know what you would take, how you’d pack them up, and where you’d put them?
• Think about what services, if any, you could offer from off-site in the aftermath of a hurricane. Can you arrange to access your library’s information from home? Is there a way to continue to provide help to your patrons with information/research needs if your library space isn’t available?
• Especially if you live in an area that is “hurricane prone,” such as Wilmington, NC or just about anywhere along the Gulf Coast and Florida, make sure you have a “Go Pack” ready at home in case you need to evacuate. Check your state’s emergency management website or the Homeland Security site for a list of what to keep ready at home.
• Remember the RML! Have contact information at hand, and at home, in case you need to send up a flare for help from the Regional Medical Library for your area.

Suggestion #15:  Emergency information sheet.  In an emergency, there will most likely not be time for someone to scan the table of contents of your plan and find, then read, a response procedure.  While the procedures are intended for training and establishing a foundation of appropriate measures, you can create a single page to put at the front of your plan that provides a quick reference for immediate response.  Suggested elements to include:

·        immediate response procedures:  designate the sequence of notification, such as whether to immediately call 911 or call the Emergency Response Coordinator who is on duty

·        designate by name and position who is the Emergency Response Coordinator for your library for different days and times of day (evening staffing, weekend staffing)

·        designate whom police should call at home when the library is closed

·        specify basic procedures for the Emergency Response Coordinator, such as

o       call 911 if the call has not already been placed

o       ask the person who reported the situation to remain until authorities arrive

o       if necessary, initiate Evacuation of the building

o       if necessary, call Maintenance (specify telephone number) for situations involving flooding or other damage to the facility

o       begin any mitigation activities that can be safely undertaken before Maintenance personnel arrive

o       report the situation, actions taken, and resolution in as much detail as possible to all appropriate staff as specified in the Reporting section of the plan

In our Emergency Information Sheet, we have also included a disclaimer of sorts:  “This guide is intended to provide help in responding to emergency situations, but it is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THINKING!  If, in your judgment, there is a more effective response, use it, then report according to the procedure.” 

Suggestion #14:  Communication information.  The heart of your disaster plan will be your communication procedures and information.  Thinking through the process and gathering the needed information ahead of time can save valuable moments in an emergency. 

You might create a summary page to begin your Communication section that includes:

• a protocol for communication:  a telephone tree and/or the voice mail message on your main incoming phone
• instructions about how communication to the media will be handled
• information about other sources of information, such as the institution’s web page and local TV and radio stations

Following the summary page, you can add the following, most of which probably already exist, perhaps in your Administration department, or with whomever handles your human resources and financial management:

• a list of all work and home phone numbers and addresses for staff  (including a notice that all home contact information for staff is confidential, and cannot be shared with anyone outside the library)
• a list of phone numbers for important contact people or departments outside your library, such as your facilities management, environmental services, housekeeping, etc.
• a list of contact information for your most important vendors, such as publishers
• contact information for other libraries in your region that might be called upon for support in an emergency

Suggestion #14:  Communication information.  The heart of your disaster plan will be your communication procedures and information.  Thinking through the process and gathering the needed information ahead of time can save valuable moments in an emergency. 

You might create a summary page to begin your Communication section that includes:

• a protocol for communication:  a telephone tree and/or the voice mail message on your main incoming phone
• instructions about how communication to the media will be handled
• information about other sources of information, such as the institution’s web page and local TV and radio stations

Following the summary page, you can add the following, most of which probably already exist, perhaps in your Administration department, or with whomever handles your human resources and financial management:

• a list of all work and home phone numbers and addresses for staff  (including a notice that all home contact information for staff is confidential, and cannot be shared with anyone outside the library)
• a list of phone numbers for important contact people or departments outside your library, such as your facilities management, environmental services, housekeeping, etc.
• a list of contact information for your most important vendors, such as publishers
• contact information for other libraries in your region that might be called upon for support in an emergency

Suggestion #13: Collection recovery procedures. Your library probably already has a document that specifies how and by whom your collections will be salvaged in the event of damage from a disaster. If so, ask that a copy be sent to you for inclusion in the plan. If not, now is the time! Depending on your situation, it may be you who is responsible, or there may another person in your organization who is responsible. If you are starting from scratch, check the internet for some valuable guidance, including SoliNET (“Contents of a Disaster Plan,” SoliNET Preservation Services Leaflet, and the Library of Congress– Library of Congress, Preservation, “Emergency Preparedness for Library of Congress Collections.”) There is a wealth of information, virtually something for everyone, available. Most libraries own at least several books on the topic. You can borrow from much information that is free, and then add the information specific to your organization, such as names of point people, how to contact them, lists of recovery companies, etc.

Whether you are including an existing document or creating a new one, keep in mind that all supplies mentioned in the recovery procedures need to be on hand before the disaster strikes (sponges, buckets, rubber gloves, dust masks, paper towels, etc.). Add them to your list of Disaster Supplies if you don’t already own them, and make sure that whoever orders your office supplies is notified about the need.