Human Services, Emergency & Disaster Management Policies, Library Science, Industrial Health & Safety, Archives

Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives

Name: Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives
Author: Graham Matthews, John Feather
ISBN: 9780754609179

by Graham Matthews, John Feather

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Overview

Matthews (information and library management, University of Central England, UK) and Feather (library and information studies, Loughborough University, UK) present guidance on various aspects of disaster management. Academics and practitioners from around the world draw on firsthand experience to explain the importance and scope of disaster management planning and what can be done before, during, and after incidents. They outline different phases of a disaster control plan, from prevention to recovery, then look at recovery from fire, flood, and war, touching on disaster's effects on library employees and users as well as technical and logistical problems. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Synopsis

Disaster planning might not seem a pressing concern - until disaster strikes. Recent events have reminded us that any collection or service may be at risk, and libraries and archives must have prevention and recovery measures in place. Written by academics and practitioners, drawing on firsthand experience and research worldwide, including Australia, Scandinavia and the USA, Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives reviews and explains the importance and scope of disaster management planning, and what can be done before, during and after incidents. The book begins by explaining how to develop a disaster control plan, outlining the different phases from prevention to recovery, and goes on to provide guidance on risk assessment and management methods which should underpin disaster planning. Individual chapters then focus on fire and flooding, bringing together lessons learned from recent disasters in the UK with case study material including information on prevention systems and reaction and recovery measures. A chapter on cooperative projects in the USA follows, providing examples of how collaborative partnerships and networks can be organized so that help, expertise and resources can be shared to facilitate management of disasters. The effect on people, both employees and users, must never be overlooked; this is the emphasis of the second half of the book. Research on the impact of a major library fire in Sweden forms the basis of the next chapter, which explains how the psychological impact of disasters on both staff and the local community can be managed. The following chapter describes the devastating effects on cultural institutions and their staff of war in Croatia in the early 1990s and extraordinary achievements against the odds. Ways of maintaining immediate, temporary service continuity along with planning for long-term restoration of services are exemplified by a case study of the fire at the Central Library of Norwich. Disaster Management for Libraries and Archives offers advice and insight for managers beginning to work on or reviewing disaster management within their organizations. The accounts of actual events highlight the real-life challenges faced and the effectiveness of appropriate solutions, while the guide to information sources at the end of the book signposts readers to a wealth of other useful material.