Disaster Plans: Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst

Stephen Henson

BE&K Engineering Company

Birmingham, Alabama

**Slide 1**

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**Slide 2**

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**Slide 3**

A good disaster response plan will be:

-   Practical. The plan should include information that will be useful
    to those individuals responding to a disaster (\"the responder\").
    The plan will tell them what actions to take first and who to
    contact immediately. The plan will exclude information that they do
    not need.

-   Understandable. The information presented in the plan must be
    understandable. If the responders cannot understand the
    instructions, they cannot effectively respond to the disaster.

-   Accessible. Copies of the disaster response plan must be easy to
    find. If the responders cannot find a copy of the plan, they cannot
    respond effectively.

-   Current. The information and instructions in the plan must be
    current and accurately reflect the situation in the library building
    at the time of a disaster. If the instructions are not current, the
    responders cannot be effective.

The library\'s disaster response plan must pass this four-part test. If
the library\'s current plan does not pass the test, you need to write a
new plan. If the library does not have a disaster response plan, keep
these tests in mind as you write a plan.

**Slide 4**

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**Slide 5**

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**Slide 6**

The library\'s disaster response plan will focus on library materials,
equipment, and the building. However, the first priority in any
emergency or disaster must be the protection and safety of human life
and health. Always remember that people are more important than
materials and equipment.

**Slide 7**

Here is a suggested outline for a disaster response plan. You may find
that your library\'s disaster response plan needs additional information
beyond that suggested in this outline.

**Slides 8 and 9**

There are six steps in writing a disaster response plan. We will look at
each step in detail.

**Slide 10**

You know your library building and collections better than anyone else.
Use your knowledge and experience as a starting point. Identify
potential hazards both inside the building and outside. Identify and
mark those collections that will need special attention in the event of
a disaster. Monitor the quality of the air in the library for
temperature, humidity, mold, and mildew. Watch for pests in the building
and collections.

**Slide 11**

There are many information sources that you can use to identify the
environmental hazards in your region. Two useful web sites are Federal
Emergency Management Agency Disaster Map
\<http://www.fema.gov/disasters/\> and the U.S. Geological
Survey-National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project \<http://geohazrds.cr.

usgs.gov/eq/genmap.html\>.

**Slides 12, 13, and 14**

There are a variety of threats to a library including natural,
technical, and human threats. Identify the threats to your library.

**Slide 15**

After identifying the threats for your library, rate the impact of each
threat on the library's operations, collections, operations, and
services.

**Slide 16**

Then rate the probability of each threat.

**Slide 17**

Then multiply the rating value of the impact by the rating value of the
probability to obtain the weighted threat rating.

**Slide 18**

The resulting matrix will help you establish priorities in writing the
disaster response plan.

**Slide 19**

The higher the weighted threat rating, the greater the impact of the
disaster on your library. The library's disaster response plan should
address the areas of greatest threat.

**Slide 20**

Begin the writing process by outlining the disaster response plan.
Create a disaster response team and assign responsibilities to each
member. Determine the resources and collections in the library that will
need priority attention in the event of a disaster. Plan for disasters
of varying dimensions: small area (about 1000 books), large area (an
entire floor of the library) and wide area (affecting the entire
community as in a tornado, flood, or earthquake). During a wide area
disaster with the resulting disruption of essential services, where will
the library turn for resources?

When writing a disaster response plan for a library, you should involve
library administrators, librarians, and support staff. Everyone working
at the library needs to feel an investment in the success of the
disaster response plan.

**Slide 21**

Much of the writing process will involve compiling lists. Members of the
disaster response team should work with library administrators to
compile this information.

**Slide 22**

Everyone who works in the library, including part-time employees,
student assistants, stack pages, and security personnel, should be
familiar with the basics of the disaster response plan:

-   What a copy of the disaster response plan looks like

-   Where copies are located

-   What immediate action to take if a disaster occurs • Where to find
    emergency supplies.

Review this information with the library staff at least once a year. If
the library has a high turnover of employees, a more frequent review may
be needed.

**Slide 23**

To be effective, the library\'s disaster response plan must be current
and accurate. Review the plan at least once each year to see if changes
or additions are needed.

**Slide 24**

To make the copies of the disaster response plan both easy to recognize
and easy to revise, use 3-ring binders in a bright color. Plastic page
protectors will keep the pages clean. In addition, the page protectors
make it easier to keep the plan current; revised pages can be easily
slipped into place. Use clear index tabs to mark sections of the plan.

**Slide 25**

You should develop one master copy of the disaster response plan and as
many working copies as needed.

**Slide 26**

The master copy of the disaster response plan will include editorial
apparatus such as a purpose statement and revision table. In addition,
the master copy will include the disaster response reports written after
each disaster. One person on the disaster response team, the keeper of
the disaster response plan, will be in charge of updating and revising
the plan.

**Slide 27**

The working copies of the plan will be distributed to members of the
disaster response team and key personnel in the library as well as
service points in the building. Working copies are stripped down
versions of the plan without the editorial apparatus of the master copy.

**Slide 28**

The information in the disaster response plan will be presented in lists
(numbered lists for steps in a sequence or items listed in order of
importance, bulleted for items of equal value or priority), tables,
charts, diagrams, and floor plans.

**Slides 29 and 30**

If the disaster response plan is hard to use or if information in the
plan is poorly organized, the people responding to a disaster cannot use
the plan effectively. Make the plan easy to use.

If the disaster response plan is hard to revise because of poor
formatting, the keeper of the plan will avoid the chore of revising it.
Make the plan easy to revise.

**Slide 31**

A well-written disaster response plan will be clear, concise, and
consistent. Let\'s look at each of these factors separately.

**Slide 32**

An effective disaster response plan will be written in a manner that is
clearly understood. Use simple, direct language and short sentences
written in the active voice. Write the instructions in the imperative
mood; do not be shy about telling the responders what to do. Avoid
acronyms and library jargon.

**Slide 33**

An effective disaster response plan will give the reader all the
information that the responder needs to initiate action in an emergency
without unnecessary or relevant information. Keeping the plan concise is
not an easy task.

**Slide 34**

Finally, an effective disaster response plan will be internally
consistent in the use of terms, page layout, and typography. Although
many of us were taught in English classes to avoid multiple usage of a
term, consistent use of a term is more important than literary merit
when writing a disaster response plan. Responders to a disaster must
understand immediately the instructions in the plan. A responder should
not have to ask \"is the government documents department the same as the
government information area?\"

Along with the consistent use of terms, consistent page design and
typography will help the responder understand the information and
respond effectively to an emergency situation.

**Slide 35, 36, and 37**

After each disaster, write a report describing the disaster and the
library\'s response to it. The disaster response report will create
institutional memory about the disaster. File copies of the report with
the library department or unit and the appropriate library
administrator. In addition, put a copy of the report in the master copy
of the library disaster response plan.

**Slide 38**

The disaster response reports can be invaluable when determining the
cost of disaster response. In addition, the reports can help
administrators determine trends and establish priorities for repair and
maintenance of the library\'s physical plant.

**Slide 39**

See the Selected Resources list for additional resources on writing a
disaster response plan \<http://library.csun.edu/mfinley/fdcread.

html\>.