Michele Stricker Associate Director, Library Support Services, New Jersey State Library Certified Preservation Management Consultant Dan Wilson Coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine National Emergency Preparedness & Response Initiative PORTS IN A STORM THE LIBRARY AS COMMUNITY DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER BURLINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY, EVESHAM BRANCH
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Ports in a Storm: The Library as Community Disaster Recovery Center
When disaster strikes, where do you go? After Super Storm Sandy hit New Jersey and New York in late October 2012, people went to their local library. Many community libraries were pressed into service as ad hoc Disaster Recovery Centers, and were in the forefront of providing services and information to those in need, often times working alongside of first responders.
Residents flocked to their local libraries the morning after the storm to access computers, use the free wireless to conduct business or work from “home;” to contact relatives or their insurance companies; find tree removal specialists; fill out FEMA forms; or just to power up their devices, warm up and have a cup of coffee. Libraries truly served their communities as ports in a storm, even though many were not prepared so serve in this capacity.
Ports in the Storm: The Library as Community Disaster Recovery Center was presented at a disaster planning & recovery summit in New Jersey on April 8, 2013, and at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago on June 28, 2013. This presentation will help to prepare your library and staff to step up into the role of a community Disaster Recovery Center. You will learn how to work with your local emergency responders and to provide resources to your community in times of greatest need.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Michele StrickerAssociate Director, Library Support Services, New Jersey State Library Certified Preservation Management Consultant
Dan WilsonCoordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine National Emergency Preparedness & Response Initiative
PORTS IN A STORM
THE LIBRARY AS COMMUNITY DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER
BURLINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY, EVESHAM BRANCH
THE LIBRARY AS A DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER
DO NOT LOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE TO YOUR COMMUNITY
PREPARING TO STEP INTO THE COMMUNITY DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER ROLE
• Prepare library facility and staff
• Make plans to keep library website, online resources, and social media accessible and updated.
• Form a Regional Emergency Response Network
• Inform elected officials
• Develop a relationship with community emergency responders
• Work with other community partners
• Help prepare your community for a disaster
• Be familiar with Salvaging Family Treasures materials.
PREPARING THE LIBRARY FOR A DISASTER
NN/LM NATIONAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE INITIATIVE
To aide the welfare of a community or parent institution following a
disaster by ensuring access to health information and
core library resources and services to health
professionals, library patrons, and the public.
A VERY QUICK HISTORY
• 2005: Hurricane Katrina
• 2008: Rollout of EP & R Plan
• 2009: 10-Step Training Program
• 2010: Hospital Libraries
• 2011-2013: Public Libraries/Emergency Planners/Public Health
GOAL: TO BUILD GREATER READINESS IN OUR NATION’S LIBRARIES
• Promote awareness of roles libraries & librarians can play in a disaster
• Provide tools for improving readiness
• Energize the library community
Seaside Heights, NJ
15 ELEMENTS OF A LIBRARY AT A HIGH STATE OF READINESS
1. Response station
2. One-page Service Continuity Plan updated quarterly
3. Shelter locations (tornado, shooter, HAZMAT)
4. Communication plan that incorporates redundancy of communication (such as what to do if cell phones don’t work) and procedures for updating website, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Situation reporting.
SITUATION REPORT (MARCH 6, 2013)
Please remember to dial 924-SNOW tomorrow morning before heading out to work. If the University is closed, all non-essential staff should not report to work. Essential staff will communicate with Tony, who will be communicating with Gretchen.
Due to the many uncertainties of this storm, it's hard to tell at this time what conditions will be like during the morning commute. Most of the forecasts I've seen show snow throughout the day, so even if we can open the library we may be in an early closing scenario. However, we'll have to let it play out and make adjustments along the way.
The Service Continuity Team (SCT) and essential services staff are now on stand-by. Essential services staff from the standpoint of staffing the library and the SCT from the standpoint of keeping our core services available from their homes. Since there is the potential for power outages, Bart will coordinate the SCT. If you are on the SCT and you lose power during business hours, please contact Bart. Bart will then notify a backup, if one is available.
David Moody will be handling messages on the library's website, and will be in communication with our social media maven, Kimberly. Therefore it is essential that David is made aware of any changes to our hours.
Questions? Please let me know.
5. At least one scheduled evacuation drill per year
6. Disaster Team and a Continuity of Services Team
7. At least one table-top exercise per year
8. Library and/or librarians integrated into community/parent institution’s disaster plan
9. Core print materials available for use if the Internet is down
10. Servers with core online resources on extended or unlimited emergency power
11. Mutual Aid Agreements with other libraries or networks for delivery of core services
12. Prioritized recovery list of all valuable and hard to replace materials
13. Partnership (contract not required) with commercial salvage/recovery company (e.g., Belfor and BMS)
14. After-action Review within 7 days of a service disruption
15. 72-hour emergency kits at the homes of all members of service continuity team