5th Rizal Library International ConferenceLibraries, Archives and Museums:
Common Challenges, Unique Approaches
A Case Study: The Queensland Disaster
Information Network (Q-Dis)

Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines
25-26 October 2012

Christine Ianna
Christine.ianna@gmail.com

Disaster preparedness and planning- a common
challenge for Libraries, Archives and Museums

A case study: Queensland’s Disaster
Information Network (Q-Dis)
http://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDISChristine Ianna
e: christine.ianna@gmail.com

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Disaster preparedness workshops, training and advice
in Queensland
Training delivered:• Across the length and breadth of Queensland•

Over the past three plus decades•

Participants attended from a variety of organizations•

Facilitators came from government institutions andthe private sector•

Funded under the auspices of a ‘variety’ of
supporters and sponsors showing it to be acommon challenge

Philippines area imposed onarea of Queensland

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Support organisations and institutions

Queensland Local
Studies Group

Museum Development
Officers
Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Emphasis of Workshops, training and advice:
1.Planning & Preparation
Planning & Preparation
Risk assessment- extent & likelihood
Prevention & Mitigation
Housekeeping, maintenance, security, planning
Disaster Plan
Contacts, Recovery Supplies, Networks & training
Disaster Recovery
Recovery options, Movement documentation,
Recovery teams
Salvage Exercise
Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Emphasis of Workshops, training and advice:
2.Preservation Spectrum Approach
Planning
PreparationImprovement Model
Based on&Continuous

NO
PREPAREDNESSPLANNO RECOVERYKITPORTIONS of a PLAN
REVIEWED, UPDATED
Eg
WELL PRACTICED
EMERGENCY CONTACTS PREPAREDNESS PLAN
LISTEDRECOVERY KITQ-DIS ..... Be ready!

An idea ….
•Most powerful outcome of the workshops in addition to the training - thelocal networks created but…

•Difficulty - maintaining enthusiasm for preparedness and planning once
the facilitators left•

Suggestion - create a semi-formal disaster
preparedness network based on the Dis-ACT
network that had been operating in Canberra
http://www.anbg.gov.au/disact/

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

What could a Queensland model look like?
Set-up••••Not limited to the domain of any one cultural collecting sector
Require limited IT expertise (from user and moderator’s perspective)Minimal moderator input - emphasis on directing visitors to reliable current
sources of information rather than ‘re-inventing the wheel’
be sustainable with minimal to no operating funds

Members•••

may be paid or working as volunteers in their sector,
may have undertaken some training or not
Be drawn from all sectors ie. galleries, libraries, archives, museums, records
management etc

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Networking – Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning? Or…
A number of platforms were considered:•Facebook: easily setup but considered “too social”. Anecdotal
discussions concerned apparent issues with safety, privacy settings,security etc .

•LinkedIn: seemed to be more for keeping ‘in touch’ professionallywith respect to employment opportunities etc .

•a Ning: appeared “just right” . Coincidentally Museums Australia
was using a ning as a hub to promote and facilitate communication
across its networks.

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

The Q-DIS virtual network becomes a reality
Through the enthusiasm and support of Museums & Gallery
Services QLD it was established that:• Q-DIS be hosted via the Museums Australia portal and their ning
http://manexus.ning.com/• Be no requirement for Q-DIS members to be financial members of Museums
Australia to ensure true cross-sector representation• Q-DIS was launched on December 9th 2010 at the MAGSQ networking event:
Heritage Collections and Disaster
http://www.magsq.com.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=768

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

http://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDISQ-DIS role: after the 2010-11 floods•

Promoting and distributing new and existing resources on the site•

Promoting details of cross-sector events and activities•

Providing training opportunities – covering large scale weather disasters andthe sometimes more insidious risks of safety, security, pest managementetc.
and ultimately…

•Ensure that disaster preparedness, planning, risk management and training
remain on everyone’s agenda at all times

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

http://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDIShttp://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDISPersonal Protective Equipment
Minimum requirement for mould
removal is P2 or N95 mask or
respirator

http://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDISGloves•

Misperceptions About White Gloves(Dr. Cathleen A. Baker And Randy Silverman
International Preservation News December 2005)
http://archive.ifla.org/VI/4/news/ipnn37.pdf

http://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDIShttp://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDISQ-DIS: future directions …
From a state perspective…
•Not to operate in isolation•

Liaise, promote and foster cross-sector disaster
preparedness, risk management and planning•

Develop relationships at the local, district and state levels ofgovernment including Emergency Management QLD and Local
Government Disaster Management Groups
eg. www.disaster.qld.gov.au

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

National disaster response network – ‘HEART’• Q-DIS also aims to contribute wherever possible tothe development of the AICCM HEART initiative• Heritage Emergency Action Response Team Project• National AICCM* initiative• Project brief being developed• Funding sources being identified• Watch this space!
*AICCM -Australian Institute for Conservation of Cultural Material
http://www.aiccm.org.au/
Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Q-DIS: a baptism of water (and a lot of it)!
After its launch Q-DIS began ‘networking’•Members were invited to review their disaster plans

Q-DIS evolved into a hub for posting:•Weather events in late 2010 and early 2011 took their toll on Queensland•News and updates on who and what had been affected•

Salvage links uploaded, directing visitors to reliable sources of informationeg. Queensland Police Service Facebook site, State Library of Queensland,
AICCM website etc.

•Advice on sources of funding to assist with recovery•

Calls for volunteers to assist with specific recovery projects

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Q-DIS: has it been successful?
Sustainable?
•Sustainability requires …Not the Voice –many voices
Christchurch City Libraries Bibliofile Blog
http://cclbibliofile.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/this-is-how-we-do-it-socialmedia-at-christchurch-city-libraries/

Useful?
•Especially during and post significant disaster events such as the 2010-11floods•

Continued postings of disaster preparedness events, suggestions forrecovery kits•

Positive feedback from trainees
Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case Study– practical application workshop training•

We have spent quite a few hours over the past two days working on David Bowden’s flood
damaged family history collection. David’s collection was stored in the car shed in a sealed plasticbox. He was standing on the veranda when he noticed the box just about to float off down thegully in the flood water. He rushed into the water to save it but by this time, the box was full offlood water so we have offered to try to dry it out for him.

•The mud has been washed off the photos, laid on towels and dabbed with paper towel to dry off,
let dry out overnight, then hung on clothes line in the Annex to finish drying out. The rest of hiscollection has been put into freezer bags and stored in the freezer until we have the time to workon it. A couple of members have taken a book home to work on it there. I have a Scrapbook fullof newspaper clippings which I think we can save. Attaching a couple of photos.

•The only things we have had to throw out have been a few photos printed on a home computer.
The top photo’s colour has been nearly washed off the other photos in the pack are only wetaround the edges. We certainly didn’t attempt to wash them, only dabbed them with paper
towel. Attaching a good photo to remind us not to use coloured paper, files, etc. See the yellow
colour that came out of it.
http://manexus.ning.com/group/qdis/forum/topics/2012-stories-from-the-qld-floods

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case study – what a small kit can do!

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case study – what a small kit can do!

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case study – what a small kit can do!

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case study – what a small kit can do!

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case study – what a small kit can do!

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Case study – what a small kit can do!

Q-DIS ..... Be ready!

Q-DISQ-DIS - Queensland Disaster
Information Network
http://manexus.ning.com/profile/QDISQ-DIS ..... Be ready!