Daily or weekly backups of circulation data and the storage of such data offsite should be the norm. Contracts with vendors for OPACs, circ systems, and electronic acquisitions should include information on the vendors' responsibility in case of data loss by natural or malicious disaster. System vendors, however, may not always be of help in retrieving lost data, and then computer data recovery services may need to be called in. Perhaps even more crucial is teaching staff to back up regularly the kinds of in-house bibliographies, pathfinders, personnel records, and other key items usually built on office desktops. Loss of this data can be even more devastating than losing a week of circulation records.
Disasters come in many sizes and shapes.
The practice of backup built into the workday is a mighty preventive. So are standard tools like surge protectors and temperature and humidity controls. Scheduling is a key concept. Regular maintenance of computer equipment, hardware, software, and files contributes to disaster prevention. It isn't glamorous, but it works.