911 IN LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES AND MUSEUMS: DISASTER RESPONSE & RECOVERY

Joseph M. Yap Associate Librarian De La Salle University

Advancing Libraries Archives and Museums (ALAM) 2013 Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases, Davao City March 6-8, 2013

http://www.evolven.com/blog/7-infographics-disaster-recovery.html

Flashflood, University of Hawaii (2004)

http://library.manoa.hawaii.edu/departments/preservation/images/image003.jpg

Fire, Plympton Library, UK (2008)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plymouthlibraries/2780877285/

FEU NRMF MEDICAL LIBRARY

http://ladycatoutlet.blogspot.com/2009/10/ondoys-aftermath.html

OBJECTIVES
To present general ways on how to conduct disaster response and recovery for: Libraries Archives Museums

Disaster can strike anytime!

Are we prepared for that? Do you have a disaster response and recovery plan at your institution?

DISASTERS

Disaster implies a sudden overwhelming and unforeseen event (Johns Hopkins, 2007?). Scope: A common measure is the number of people killed or affected.

Disaster managers will assess the speed and success of the disaster response.

DISASTERS

a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

HAZARDS

Threatening event, or probability of occurrence of a potentially damaging phenomenon within a given time period and area (IFRC).

TYPES

Natural hazards are naturally occurring physical phenomena caused either by rapid or slow onset events which can be geophysical (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic activity), hydrological (avalanches and floods), climatological (extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires), meteorological (cyclones and storms/wave surges) or biological (disease epidemics and insect/animal plagues).

Technological or man-made hazards (complex emergencies/conflicts, famine, displaced populations, industrial accidents and transport accidents) are events that are caused by humans.

IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF HAZARD

RISK FORMULA

This draws on the work of Wisner, a risk scientist in London and others.

http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/center-for-refugee-and-disasterresponse/publications_tools/publications/_CRDR_ICRC_Public_Health_Guide_Book/ Chapter_1_Disaster_Definitions.pdf

Risk = the possibility of loss, injury, death or other consequence Hazard = a destructive phenomenon or event Exposure = duration and/or extent of a hazard Vulnerability = susceptibility to damage or harm by a hazard Manageability = the capacity to respond to Needs created by a Disaster

RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

Response is an effort to mitigate the impact of an incident on the public and the environment (DEM).
The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected. Disaster response is predominantly focused on immediate and short-term needs and is sometimes called "disaster relief (RA 10121). http://www.dem.ri.gov/topics/erp/1_2.pdf

"Response" - any concerted effort by two (2) or more agencies, public or private, to provide assistance or intervention during or immediately after a disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs of those people affected and in the restoration of essential public activities and facilities (RA).

RECOVERY
Disaster Recovery is the processes, plan, technology, etc. needed to recover from an unforeseen incident (Acito, nd)

DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM

Define who the key people are, what their roles will be, and record details of how they can be contacted. Include disaster response as a staff training and induction agenda item. Ensure that lists are always up-to-date.

RESPONSE (LIBRARY IS AFFECTED)

It is important to note that fire, police and ambulance, not library employees, are the frontline emergency responders.

Assess the situation

Emergency evacuation

Third party assistance Set up a control centre

RESPONSE (LIBRARY IS UNAFFECTED)

it can provide a safe haven and valuable community resource for people caught up in the disaster Amnesty. Despite the scale of a calamity, people often focus on small things which may, in the scheme of things, seem insignificant to those who havent been directly affected (e.g. many library users were concerned about not being able to return borrowed items, as their homes and contents had been destroyed).

Public libraries provide: Temporary accommodation and office facilities for the emergency services A community lounge, a resting place away from danger A meeting area for families, neighbors and friends A place where experiences could be shared Entertainment for young children, with toys, books and DVDs

Distraction for adults, by way of magazines, light reading, escapist fiction Computers for people to get in touch with worried relatives and to begin the process of contacting insurance companies, banks, employers, etc Welcoming staff, happy to sit and listen to stories, read books with the children or make a cup of tea

RECOVERY (WHEN THE LIBRARY IS AFFECTED)

The first 48 hours are generally regarded as the immediate emergency response period. Only re-enter the premises once the emergency services have declared the building safe. Assess the damage and take immediate steps to stabilize the environment, for example: Open doors and windows (unless security is an issue) Remove all standing water Remove wet carpets, drapes and furniture Set up dehumidifiers and fans, if appropriate

Identify what will be needed to contain the damage and begin the restoration process: Volunteers, conservation experts, library professionals, trades people, specialist recovery businesses Equipment and materials Off-site secure area for storage of undamaged items Counseling support for staff

Check with your insurance company before beginning the task of separating what can be salvaged and what has been damaged beyond repair. They may well send out an assessor, in which case the process may have to be delayed until they have gone over the site. If your insurance company is happy for you to proceed, take photographs as evidence of the scale of the losses. Allocate a disposal area and organise a mechanism to avoid unnecessary double-handling for example, hire a skip so rubbish can be dumped straight into it.

Keep detailed notes of the damage to the property, collection, IT, documents, etc. At some point in the first few weeks, you may well need to put a value on the items destroyed for insurance purposes. Work from the top down, allocating library staff to the task of restoring items from the collection, for example drying out books, and nonspecialist volunteers to more general cleaning duties.

RECOVERY (WHEN THE LIBRARY IS UNAFFECTED)

Social recovery, health and wellbeing Resuming normal activities

Communication hub

Managing donations

Rescuing possessions

REBUILD

SAMPLE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN

1. If a disaster occurs during regular library hours, contact GENERAL SERVICES @ ext. 3002 and Pat Scott (x 7840), or another member of the Disaster Team. (See below.) A Library Disaster is any threat to library materials or collections. CAMPUS POLICE @ ext. 4760 (after hours contact) 2. If a disaster occurs at night or on a weekend, first call the Campus Police, then call the following people in this order until a member of the Library Preservation Team is reached.

If the disaster affects the library only and we are unable to enter the library, we will meet in the lobby of the Bush Campus Center. If the disaster affects the library and surrounding buildings and we are unable to enter the library, we will meet in the lobby of the Klump Academic Center. If the disaster affects the entire campus, we will meet at the coffee shop at Wegmans.

Refer to your disaster response checklist (page 29, disaster plan manual).

PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT

Essential team during recovery period.

NDRRMC

RA 10121: Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010

WET BOOKS
DO NOT * open or close books * separate single sheets * press water out of wet books - the paper is too fragile when wet * wipe off mud or dirt * remove book covers or separate materials * disturb wet file boxes, prints, drawings or photographs

"Such handling may result in extensive and irreparable damage to materials that otherwise might be salvaged" (Peter Waters)

WET BOOKS
DO * stand books on their heads (or use support to keep them standing) * interleave absorbent paper every 50 pages (toilet/tissue, paper towels, or blotting paper will do; just replace every now and then) * use fan to keep air circulating, never expose books to dry under the sun * keep temperature below 65 degrees F (approx. 18 degrees C) * when completely dry, lay books flat but not stacked together

POPQUIZ

Describe what salvage is?

ANSWER - MERRIAM-WEBSTER

the act of saving or rescuing property in danger (as from fire) property saved from destruction in a calamity (as a wreck or fire)

INSURANCE

Talk to your insurance agent about your disaster plan and make sure you understand your level of cover.

http://www.evolven.com/blog/7-infographics-disaster-recovery.html

LAMMS

Libraries, Archives, Museums, Monuments & Sites (LAMMS)

IFLA (libraries), ICA (archives), ICOM (museums), ICOMOS (monuments & sites) and CCAAA (audiovisual archives)

The Blue Shield is the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. It is the protective emblem specified in the 1954 Hague Convention (Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict). Hague Convention - Written in the wake of the widespread cultural devastation perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II

WHY IS THE 1954 HAGUE CONVENTION SO IMPORTANT?

the planning of emergency measures for protection against fire or structural collapse. The mission of all involved with Blue Shield is to work for the protection of the world's cultural heritage.

The focus of the LAMMS Coordinating Council currently lies in the following areas: copyright and other legal matters political lobby preservation and protection of cultural heritage global digital libraries standardization

ARCHIVES
Guidelines for the care of some of the more common materials to be affected by a natural disaster - NARA (The National Archives and Records Administration) The listed web sites and recovery guidelines provided are in no way an exhaustive list. http://www.archives.gov/preservation/disaster -response/salvage-procedures.html

WET PHOTOGRAPHS
Know the priority photographs and transparencies to be salvaged. Consult a conservator to determine the ph of the water In handling photographs, do not touch emulsion, hold by the edges or margins. Prepare all the needed supplies: blotter paper, cheese cloth, distilled water, sponges, dehumidifier, etc.

Prepare the drying facility. Follow certain drying methods.

- Vacuum/Freeze-Drying - Dessicant Drying - Air Drying - Cryogenic Drying

http://www.archives.gov/preservation/disaster-response/dryingtechniques.html

MUSEUMS - ROYAL SASKATCHEWAN MUSEUM

Presence of mind to secure the building properly. Seal the building for investigation. Conservators planned a salvage and cleaning strategy, beginning a supply list and searching files for any information on removal of soot during a fire recovery. Off-site staff meeting to report on the events

Post

a warning sign (do not touch) Vaccum the soot. Proper handling. Temporary storage conditions for sooty material should be dry to avoid activation of acidic materials. http://cool.conservationus.org/coolaic/jaic/articles/jaic39-01-002.html

WHAT IS COMMON AMONG THE THREE?

shared goals of collecting and preserving our cultural heritage

Information in all forms must be collected and preserved for future generations (Ancestry.com).

VOLUNTEER

ICOASL 2013
Conference Theme "Special Libraries towards Achieving Dynamic, Strategic, and Responsible Working Environment " April 10-12, 2013 Philippine International Convention Center http://units.sla.org/chapter/cas/ICoASL2013.htm

REFERENCES

ALIA. Guide to Disaster Planning, Response and Recovery for Libraries. May 2010. http://gorilla.multiply.com/links/item/49/Ondoy_Library_Da mage_Status_Report?&show_interstitial=1&u=%2Flinks% 2Fitem http://filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/09/typhoonondoy-and-libraries.html

http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disastermanagement/about-disasters/definition-of-hazard/

http://filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/10/wetbooks-dos-and-donts.html http://www.ifla.org/about-lamms http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ ~gilliamgibbs/writings/musarchlib.html http://informationr.net/ir/14-2/paper400.html

http://www.archives.gov/preservation/disaster -response/guidelines.html http://www.globalaccess.us/files/imce/disaster-recovery.pdf