Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries (Paperback)

~ (Author), Miriam B. Kahn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

If your library doesn't already have a disaster plan, this book will give you enough adrenaline to start writing one. The author (Disaster Prevention and Response for Special Libraries, Professional Reading, LJ 5/1/95) is a specialist in preservation and disaster response, serving all types of cultural institutions, corporations, businesses, and disaster response companies. The unique presentation in this distinctive guide starts right off with a disaster. Kahn assumes that you may have an out-of-date plan or none at all. From the plan you move to recovery and a review of procedures used during the disaster in order to change and/or update your plan to reflect the actual steps followed during the disaster. Remaining chapters deal with prevention, planning, and response and recovery procedures. There are how-to-do-it instructions for materials in many formats, and case studies completing each chapter illustrate the information discussed. Dealing with computers and various storage formats is covered in detail, e.g., you may back up your hard drive every Friday onto tapes or discs, but do you store them off-site or keep them near your computer? CDs and CD-ROMs and what little is known about saving the information on this relatively new technology is discussed. Appendixes contain checklists, forms, and contacts. The excellent, current bibliography is arranged by format. Every library should buy a copy of this and keep it right next to the disaster plan. Invaluable.?Marie Bruni, Huntington Memorial Lib., Oneonta, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

A disaster can strike any library, and recovery from it depends largely on the work put into planning for dealing with it and responding to it. Kahn first considers response to disaster, including initial assessment of the situation, calling for outside assistance, and setting priorities for recovery. Especially important is dealing with the emotional states of persons affected by the disaster. Kahn ties all these responses into the planning that precedes development of the disaster plan. In the book's third and fourth sections, she deals with preventing disasters and developing a plan for dealing with one should it occur. She devotes the final section to recovery procedures for various types of materials. Valuable checklists and forms and a list of contacts for additional assistance and supplies are included. Edward Swanson

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: American Library Association (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0838907164
• ISBN-13: 978-0838907160
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,489,532 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Resource for Managers, June 2, 2000

By	A. Bryant "librarian" (Indiana) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries is a practical guide to help library directors plan for, and/or handle library disasters. It is written in straight-forward style, with little narrative or theory to distract from the instructions.

The physical formatting of the text supports this approach. The book is laid out in a double column format with bold faced section headings and bulleted lists. Descriptive case studies from actual libraries are clearly marked and set apart from the main text. The result is a book that is easy to scan quickly to disseminate the informative content

The first half of the book is divided into six sections dealing with disaster management: Response, Recovery, Prevention, Planning, and Procedures. Each section includes subheadings, lists, and questions which walk a manager through each step of a disaster, from the small scale to the large. The emphasis is placed on physical details that should not be overlooked, such as having utilities turned off after a fire, but psychological and and emotional issues are also discussed.

The second half of the book contains a valuable resource for any manager: an appendix of 31 checklist and forms. These pages are formatted to be very functional, with blank lines and check boxes provided. A manager could use these pages as presented, or use them as blueprints in the development of customized procedures. The supporting material also includes a list of contacts for additional assistance and supplies, a bibliography, and an index.

Managers working in an information environment, whether library, historical society, or archive, would find this book helpful not only as they write disaster plans but also as they reevaluate the plans already in place. I highly recommend this book.