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Be prepared: Take precautionary measures and know what to do in an emergency.
Having an emergency? What to do when collections get wet
Risk Management
Take steps to identify, assess, and prioritize risks to collections in order to put in place the necessary resources (including insurance) to reduce, spread, or transfer the risks and minimize the impact of unfortunate events.
Preparedness
Knowing what to do during and after an emergency increases personal safety and can help avoid catastrophic loss of collections by enabling a response that is timely, calm, and effective. Emergency preparedness includes:
- Planning for Continuity of Operations
- Contracting for disaster services
- Conducting emergency exercises
- Knowing what to do in an emergency
- Keeping up with new information and available resources
Response and Recovery
An informed, calm, and timely response maximizes recovery by focusing first on stabilizing collections.
- What to do when collections get wet
- What to do when collections are moldy or otherwise contaminated
- How to dry a wet space
- Available assistance options/emergency services providers
- How to find a conservator
More about Response and Recovery
Additional Resources
- Workshops for federal libraries on Emergency Preparedness
- Emergency Webpages of other institutions
- References and educational materials including: how to develop a disaster plan; what to expect from various types of emergencies/disasters; how to rescue collections; life safety precautions; how to respond to theft of collections
- Video: Emergency Management since the Florence Flood – Federal Programs and National Initiatives (Speaker: Andrew Robb, Head of Special Format Conservation Section, Conservation Division, Library of Congress)
The American Library Association (ALA) Carnegie-Whitney Award helped to support the creation of these emergency web pages.