Disaster Planning for Special Libraries

Disaster Planning for Special Libraries is ideal for corporate librarians and staff members charged with developing security and disaster plans. It serves as a reference guide, not only for people who have never considered the disaster planning process, but also for experienced planners. Chapters examine a wide variety of settings, from urban office towers and malls, to smaller buildings. It considers special considerations for libraries in hospitals, law firms, manufacturing plants and government departments, and discusses how corporate-wide security and disaster plans address-or fail to address-risks, summarizing the planning phases related to preparedness for security breaches, emergencies and disasters.

Subsequent chapters cover the business resumption process for corporate libraries, including the implications of declaring a disaster, the best ways to assess damage to corporate library facilities and assets, the need for strategic alliances with different kinds of suppliers, opportunities for alliances with other libraries, and the normalization of library operations. The book then discusses the necessary post-disaster public relations that corporate libraries should organize and maintain after negative events, covering orientation and training programs for corporate library employees and demonstrating how such programs can be adapted to meet the needs of libraries in various settings.