Library as Safe Haven: Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery; A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians

Libraries have always played a special role in times of disaster by continuing to provide crucial information and services. The Stafford Act of 2011, a federal government directive, designates libraries as among the temporary facilities delivering essential services, making a Continuity of Operations Plan imperative for libraries. Peppered with informative first-person narratives from librarians recounting emergency situations, Halsted, Clifton, and Wilson cover such topics as:

• An eight-step approach to developing a risk assessment plan
• How to draft a one-page service continuity plan
• Information on how to use mobile devices and social media effectively in times of disaster
• Sample disaster plans, along with model exercises, manuals and customizable communications

Published in cooperation with the Medical Library Association (MLA), this nuts-and-bolts resource will enable libraries of all kinds to do their best while planning for the worst.