In this interview, we'll hear from Shelby Strommer, Collections Care Coordinator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Shelby will share her experience with developing a collections disaster plan and provide tips and resources to help your library prepare for extreme weather.
Why is it important for a library to have a collections disaster plan?
Shelby Strommer: Disasters, both large and small, have the potential to damage or even destroy our materials. Basic preparedness can greatly reduce the impact of an event by allowing us to respond more efficiently and effectively when something does happen. According to the 2023 Held in Trust Report from the Foundation of Advancement of Conservation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, climate change has lead to “unprecedented perils to the long-term preservation of heritage resources” including libraries and archives. This means that now, more than ever, it is increasingly important to develop a disaster response plan to mitigate potential loss.
If your institution doesn’t currently have a disaster plan, you are not alone. The most recent IMLS Heritage Health Information Survey reports that only 42% of cultural heritage institutions have collections disaster plans. It can be hard to find the time to prioritize disaster planning, especially if you’re starting from scratch, but any steps toward preparedness and mitigation can have an impact.
How did your library develop your collection disaster plan?
Shelby: Our library has had a disaster plan, in some form, for several decades. I’m not sure about the specifics of the original plan, but I can provide tips for getting started.
If you’re starting or rebooting a disaster plan, begin with risk assessment and mitigation. This includes internal hazards like leaky pipes, leaky roofs, and inadequate fire protection, as well as external hazards such as severe weather, flooding, or wildfires. Sometimes one disaster begets another. For example, fire damage can include charring, smoke, and soot damage, but putting out a fire requires a lot of water which can lead to liquid damage and potential mold issue or a severe weather event could also cause flooding or structural failure.
Once you have identified potential hazards, think about potential mitigation steps by focusing on the events most likely to occur. This can include roof repair, diverting water away from the building, moving collections off the floor, not storing materials under pipes, and maintaining HVAC and fire suppression systems. In our library, building leaks are unfortunately a regular occurrence so we distributed several kits with plastic sheeting, paper towels, absorbent pads and other materials that allow staff to respond quickly and mitigate the water damage. Maintaining an updated disaster plan, with staff who are trained to implement it, is another great mitigation strategy.
The next step is to think about what roles are required in a disaster and who is responsible for those roles. Roles could include leading response and recovery, documenting the damage and recovery process, coordinating logistics and facilities, making collections decisions, communication and PR, staffing needs, authorizing funding, coordinating IT equipment and networking, and services and circulation staff.
What are the essential components that a library should include in a disaster plan?
Shelby: The goal of the plan is to ensure staff know what to do in an emergency. That includes:
What are the best practices for quickly salvaging collections?
Shelby: The first and most important priority is health and safety. In a large disaster, it may be necessary to wait until the scene is cleared and deemed structurally sound and safe to enter. Never enter a disaster site alone. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment when dealing with soot or mold.
Once you have access to the space, it’s important to survey the scene to get a good sense of the type of damage, how many items are impacted, and what type of materials. Document everything. Take lots of pictures, record video, and take extensive notes detailing what you see. This will help plan the response and can be important for insurance and internal reporting.
Before you jump right in, plan your salvage efforts to ensure a smoother, more efficient process. Based on the scale and scope of the incident, determine what resources you will need including supplies, space, furniture, technology, and personnel.
There are tons of great free resources with detailed salvage instructions. These are a few of my favorites:
Additionally, the National Heritage Responders is a group of volunteer professionals that offer free advice for institutions experiencing disasters.
Emergency Help Line: 202.661.8068
Non-emergency Email: emergencies@culturalheritage.org
What advice would you offer to libraries interested to create or update a collections disaster plan?
Shelby: Start small and break the process into chunks. Even creating and disseminating a list of essential contacts and communication procedures can make a huge impact. If you have funds, keeping a small stash of disaster supplies on hand, like a few plastic tarps and absorbent materials, can allow staff to react quickly. No matter what you do, it’s important to ensure your staff know where to find the appropriate information. The best plan in the world is not effective if staff don’t know where to find or how to implement it.
My other tip is to take advantage of free resources that are available to help.
Council of State Archivists Pocket Response Plan (PReP) provides a printable template institutions can fill in with important contact information as well as an emergency response checklist, and can be folded to fit in a wallet.
The Northeast Document Conservation Center offers a Worksheet for Outlining an Emergency Response Plan. This straightforward worksheet could serve as a complete disaster plan, or provide a good jumping off point.
There are both free and paid options for dPlan/ArtsReady, which is a more comprehensive tool for planning and response designed to work for cultural heritage and arts organizations of any size.
Any final thoughts?
Shelby: Health and safety are always the number one priority. Salvage operations can be both physically and mentally exhausting. Designate someone to ensure everyone takes regular rest breaks, eat and drink water, and go home to get sleep. Wet books are heavy, so train staff to lift and carry safely. Require appropriate personal protective equipment like gloves and masks when dealing with hazardous materials like mold or soot. Disasters can also have a huge emotional and psychological impact on us. Breaks and time off are not just essential for physical health but also mental health and emotional stress. Staff may need support and may need referrals to professional assistance or an Employee Assistance Program. People process disasters in different ways, and it may not hit until after the disaster. And don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Interview with Shelby Strommer, Collections Care Coordinator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Interviewed by Michelle Eberle, Consultant, Massachusetts Library System
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