2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries

180
BEST PRACTICES 2012
annual or bi-annual training sessions to practice their behavior in an actual
case of emergency and to refresh their knowledge about possible
hazards/hazardous materials.
Supply list: Popular are lists that outline general as well as emergencyspecific
supplies (e.g. fans to eliminate dampness or safety goggles in case of
a chemical spill). There are many templates of supply lists online that you
can use to create your own. Once completed, you should determine what
needs to be purchased and what may also be available through your
maintenance department. An extensive example that can serve as starting
point can be found at http://www.ready.gov/document/family-supply-list.
Evaluation of your physical space: If you do not have an existing floor
plan, it's time to draw one up. It should indicate the location of public areas
and staff areas, your stacks and exits, sprinkler locations, windows, high-risk
areas for fire, water, or another type of emergency. A floor plan will not only
help your staff but also people who might enter the library in case of an
emergency. They will immediately see the most endangered and/or
important locations that should receive attention first.
Collection priorities: Most likely, your library will feature a variety of
different collections such as law materials, technical reports and rare or
oversized books, to name just a few. You should consider what is most
important, which documents could be sacrificed if necessary, and what
portions of the collection you should only tend to if circumstances permit.
Current books and documents are most likely easier to obtain than old maps
or reports. To determine which materials seem to be most important, ask
your staff to rank different sub-collections and areas according to what they
feel should be made priority over others.
Digital collection: For your digital materials you should approach your IT
team. Chances are that they already have a plan regarding the IT
infrastructure, so you will need to include that in your plan, or at least
reference it. If you have a librarian for digital content, he/she can serve as
liaison between the library and the IT staff.
Restoration of services: Depending on the nature of the incident, you will
experience different levels of impact on your services. This section is also
something that the library staff can discuss. What services are most
important in your library? Phone service (reference), databases, internet
access, interlibrary loan, physical collections? You can then determine which
service should be restored as quickly as possible, and you can again
collaborate with other departments to make this as uncomplicated as
possible.
Report and evaluation forms: A short form can be used to record a minor
incident such as a spillage. In the aftermath of the incident you will want to
use an evaluation form to record details about the incident, who was
involved, what damage was done, etc.
Your library is unique, and only you can determine how you can best deal with an
emergency situation. Minor incidents have a greater possibility to occur, but even
so you will be glad you have a document and policies in place to deal with
immediate danger and with the recovery. If we are ever faced with a major