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

Deborah D. Halsted · Shari C. Clifton · Daniel T. Wilson

Aug 2014 · American Library Association

About this ebook

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 planHow to draft a one-page service continuity planInformation on how to use mobile devices and social media effectively in times of disasterSample disaster plans, along with model exercises, manuals and customizable communicationsPublished 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.

About the author

Deborah Halsted has over 30 years of professional library experience, primarily in academic medical libraries. It was after severe flooding in the Texas Medical Center Library in Houston caused by Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 that she became involved in disaster planning and recovery. In 2005 she coauthored Disaster Planning: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians based on her personal experiences. She has remained active in disaster planning, especially in extensive training in the National Incident Management System Incident Command System, which is vital to any incident, large or small. She received her master's degree in library science from Florida State University.

Shari Clifton has been a health science librarian for more than 20 years and is currently Professor/Head of Reference and Instructional Services at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center's Robert M. Bird Library in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. An active participant in professional organizations at the state, regional, and national levels, Clifton has held a variety of elected/appointed positions and has presented numerous papers, posters, and programs at professional meetings. She is a distinguished member of the Medical Library Association's Academy of Health Information Professionals. For many years, Clifton has served as the coordinator of outreach activities for the Bird Library, and she has been actively involved in preparedness activities in Oklahoma and her region. In addition, she directed mediated search services and support for individuals working on systematic reviews and other comprehensive projects. Clifton earned her master's degree in library and information science from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.
Daniel Wilson is the associate director for Collections and Library Services at the University of Virginia Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. Since the summer of 2007, he has served as the coordinator for the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) National Emergency Preparedness and Response Initiative. In that role, Dan coordinates the emergency preparedness and response activates of the network and regularly facilitates workshops designed to bring together emergency planners and the library community to discuss roles and plan partnerships. He has coauthored articles about libraries and emergency planning with his colleague Susan Yowell. Dan earned his master's degree in library science at the State University of New York at Geneseo.