Disaster Planning for Special Libraries

By Guy Robertson. Cambridge, MA: Chandos Publishing, 2020. 320 pp. $78.95. eBook ISBN 9780081010501; Paperback ISBN 9780081009482.

The Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries

By Mary Grace Flaherty. Chicago: American Library Association, 2021. 168 pp. $54.99; ALA members $49.49. Paperback ISBN 9780838937990.

Reviewed by Katy Sternberger, CA, DAS; Archivist, Portsmouth Athenaeum [PDF Full Text]

Disaster planning can sometimes feel overwhelming as it involves front-loading critical decisions and requires ongoing maintenance. Disaster Planning for Special Libraries by Guy Robertson and The Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries by Mary Grace Flaherty both help make the process more manageable. While principles of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery are often incorporated into sources addressing preservation, these books are two of the most recent contributions dedicated to disaster planning in the library and archives literature.

Guy Robertson is forthright and conversational in Disaster Planning for Special Libraries. He explains that part of the impetus behind writing this book was to fill a gap in disaster planning literature. Indeed, the contents are particular to the needs of special libraries, which the author broadly defines as any library “that provides specialized information and other resources to a particular group of patrons” (p. xix). He focuses on smaller libraries housed within larger institutions, and he includes archives and records centers. Though especially pertinent to corporate libraries, the book is applicable to a variety of institutions besides academic and public libraries.

Robertson incorporates numerous excerpts from his interviews with special librarians who work in different settings. These quotes share practical experiences and show readers that they are not alone in dealing with the challenges of disaster planning. Chapters discuss how to assess and mitigate risks to the library within the parent institution, respond generally to emergencies, resume operations after a disaster, and evaluate the effectiveness of the disaster plan. Robertson provides many suggestions to make sure the disaster plan does not simply sit in a desk drawer once it is written.

The Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries, by Mary Grace Flaherty with contributions from Katherine R. Greene and Michelle Runyon, is an easy-to-use guide. Its conciseness makes it approachable to librarians, archivists, and administrators alike. There are sample checklists; interviews with experienced librarians; and hands-on ideas, such as building a go-bag or playing games to gain familiarity with disaster preparedness. The target audience leans toward public libraries, but the book includes links to disaster planning resources that any library can use. As the authors say, “librarians of all types are strategically positioned to help their communities with disaster preparedness” (p. 26).

Flaherty covers the history of disasters in the United States, the role of government in emergency management, and ways to bring communities together through disaster preparedness and response. She includes field reports describing libraries’ responses to natural disasters and how they did or did not use a disaster plan. There is a very short chapter dedicated to archives and special collections, which mentions ideas to consider within the framework of the institution’s larger disaster plan regarding unique analog and digital collections. Overall, Flaherty’s book clarifies the purpose of disaster planning.

These books have many similarities that make them useful additions to your professional library. They underscore the importance of building relationships internally and externally. They offer concrete strategies to communicate with a variety of stakeholders and to advocate for disaster planning. They also do a great job of describing risk assessment and preparedness to mitigate risk. Furthermore, both books prioritize human safety over collections recovery, an important reminder that cannot be minimized.

By contrast, Flaherty discusses creating or updating a disaster plan, but Robertson focuses more on adapting a disaster plan for a library based on the parent institution’s existing documentation. Robertson includes six extensive appendices with sample documentation, and Flaherty includes one appendix with a sample memorandum of understanding. Much of Flaherty’s text is specific to the United States, while Robertson has a more international perspective. Neither book addresses salvage procedures, though understandably these will look different for every institution. Also, neither book delves into the specific needs of archives, but the authors’ approaches in general still apply.

The content of both books is fairly perennial, addressing a variety of disasters, including floods, earthquakes, fires, power outages, pandemics, bomb threats, war, and data loss. Whether in combination with each other or on their own, Robertson’s Disaster Planning for Special Libraries and Flaherty’s The Disaster Planning Handbook for Libraries are valuable sources on disaster planning.