Disaster Planning for Libraries

Mar 13, 2020

The current pandemic may have you thinking of emergency preparedness in general, not just for this crisis. Right now it’s Coronavirus (and you can find resources on that here), but there are many types of disasters that can affect your library and community — floods, fires, weather disasters, shootings, and more. Do you and your staff know what to do in the event the worst happens? Your library needs to have a solid plan for disasters and emergencies of all types. Fortunately, you have resources available.

The Idaho Commission for Libraries has put out a good article on “Disaster Planning for Libraries and Library Users: Making a Difference During Difficult Times” that offers some basics.

The New Jersey State Library has put together a great set of resources on their Disaster Preparedness & Recovery page. It includes their Librarian’s Disaster Planning and Community Resiliency Guidebook and Workbook, presentations, webinars, links, and more.

The Colorado State Library is offering a free CSL in session webinar, “Disaster Planning and Assistance for Libraries,” on Thursday, March 26 from 12-1 p.m. In this interactive webinar, the Colorado Cultural and Historic Resources Task Force  members will offer guidance on how to create and use a disaster plan, partner with first responders, and protect your collections from damage. The assistance part of it may be more Colorado-centric, but know that in Wyoming, you can always contact the Wyoming State Library’s Library Development Office for help in a crisis.

The Wyoming State Library has a collection of professional library science materials available to you. Here is our recommended reading list from the WSL shelves:

And in the meantime, if you want good information on how to handle the current health crisis, remember that we will be continually updating our Guide to COVID-19 for Libraries to ensure that you have the resources you need to keep your staff and patrons safe and informed.

If you have a question about this or any other article, please contact us at statelibrary@wyo.gov

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