Disaster Planning

Few sights are more heart-wrenching to librarians than the chaos inside their buildings after a disaster--earthquake, fire, flood, or vandalism--has struck. Conducted in a workshop style by Michael McColgin, Preservation Officer for the State of Arizona, Disaster Planning, from the College of DuPage's series of filmed teleconferences, covers the importance of preparing a disaster response manual, as well as making certain that every staff member (as well as the local fire department) is fully aware of both its contents and their responsibilities in the event of a disaster. While McColgin readily admits up front that many librarians feel they don't have time to prepare another report that will probably end up on a dusty shelf, he counters this argument by presenting sobering interview clips with librarians who have had their libraries savaged by nature--places where the disaster preparedness plan became something more than a mere exercise. A wake-up call to all librarians who think that disasters couldn't happen to them, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)