Disaster Preparedness: Hell and High Water

Track: State of the Art (Monday)

Monday, June 9, 2003 3:30PM - 5:00PM

Location: Marriott, Room: Odets

How to Prepare a Plan and Guide for Staff

The annual natural disasters in the U.S., as well as the events of 9/11, have brought home to librarians the need for critical steps to be taken to protect books and documents. MAHD presents a panel on how to prepare a plan and guide for staff, fundamentals of protection from water damage, fire safety, and more.

Disaster Planning Portal SLA's portal dedicated to the librarians who were killed or injured on September 11th, 2001

Scared or Prepared? Disaster Planning Makes the Difference

By Laurie Bolger

Laurie Bolger is the conservation librarian at the University Club Library in New York City.

One of my most memorable classroom experiences in library school involved a very unusual digression about the martyrdom of a saint our professor referred to as Laurence the Librarian. He explained that Laurence, a young man of extraordinary virtue, was ordained archdeacon by Pope St. Sixtus II in 258 A.D. This was a position of great trust, involving the care of the Church’s treasury, which evidently included a significant number of exceedingly valuable tomes. The prefect of Rome, in an attempt to confiscate this wealth, arrested Laurence and ordered him to surrender the priceless volumes and other material riches. Laurence appeared before the prefect’s court accompanied by a crowd of the city’s poor people, declaring them to be the true treasures of the Church. As punishment for his defiance, Laurence was burned to death on a gridiron over a slow fire. According to accounts of his martyrdom, Laurence not only seemed insensible to the torture but was even able to retain his sense of humor. He was reported to have smilingly remarked at one point, “Let my body be turned, one side is broiled enough,” and later, “It is cooked, you may eat.” Considered to be the patron saint of librarians and archivists, his emblems are a clasped book and a gridiron.

After he told Laurence’s story, our professor, not altogether jokingly, exhorted us to be prepared, as the saint had been, to lay down our lives to protect our libraries. But are we really required to go to such extreme lengths in an emergency situation? Certainly not! Indeed, the first, non-negotiable rule of disaster response is that lives must be safeguarded before property, no matter how valuable our library’s holdings may be. Although we are not called upon to imitate St. Laurence’s martyrdom, we must be willing to learn how to take all necessary steps, short of putting our lives in jeopardy, to safeguard the “treasures” of our own institutions should disaster strike.

Common types of disasters

If an “emergency” can generally be defined as a set of conditions that requires immediate action, a “disaster” is a major emergency, a convergence of circumstances that usually leaves an organization unable to fulfill its mission, sometimes for an extended period. Disasters range from roof and plumbing leaks that create damage that can be repaired by in-house personnel; to broken water mains that may disrupt power and require large portions of the institution’s collections to be treated in specialized outside facilities; to major catastrophes, such as severe earthquakes, in which all of an organization’s operations are disrupted, all utilities are out of order, and destruction occurs on a mass scale.

Violent storms that cause wind- or water-related damage are typical natural disasters for libraries. The floods that may result from such events can be devastating, even if wind damage is relatively slight. Besides natural occurrences such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, water damage can come from malfunctioning plumbing, sprinkler, and air-conditioning systems. Regardless of the cause, great danger of a serious mold problem exists once water has entered the collection areas, especially if humidity is high.

Fire-related disasters are often even more destructive than those caused by water alone. Not only do fires produce enormous amounts of heat, smoke, and toxic gases, the process of extinguishing the fire sometimes causes as much or more damage than the fire itself. Causes of fire include natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes, as well as old or defective wiring or heating equipment, accumulations of combustible materials, and arson.

Besides “traditional” disasters caused by wind, water and fire, none of us today can afford to remain unaware of the dangers libraries face from threats of terrorism in all forms. The mass destruction inherent in bombings, bioterrorism, and other evil acts truly boggles the mind. Disaster planning for these types of extreme events is, and will remain for the foreseeable future, an enormous challenge for librarians.

Five disasters of the past decade

Wind: Central Library, Fort Worth, Texas—March 2000. A powerful tornado caused more than $1.6 million worth of damage to the city’s recently renovated central library, as 113 mph winds blew in nearly all the windows and exterior doors, smashed skylights, collapsed an interior wall, and toppled part of the building’s façade. While the library’s 50,000 volumes and archival materials (stored in the basement) sustained water damage, the biggest cleanup problem was shattered glass. Every item in the collection had to be cleaned by an outside contractor before the library was able to resume operations three weeks later.[1]

Water: Colorado State University Library, Fort Collins, Colorado—July 1997. A huge flash flood in the middle of the night that quickly rose to levels of 10 feet caused water to surge into the library’s basement, breaking windows, soaking thin foam walls, snapping aluminum framing, and completely submerging book stacks. Electricity and telecommunications were totally knocked out. Pumps were quickly set up to remove water for the first two days following the flood, and a crew from an outside document reprocessing company was called in to wrap the books and transport them to freezer facilities. A 72-hour deadline for “packing out” the books was foiled by a huge bloom of mold and mildew, as some rooms were so loaded with twisted shelving and other debris that the work crew was unable to enter them for over a week. Once recovery work was able to resume, dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and antifungal sprays were quickly brought in to deal with the outbreak. 425,000 of the library’s volumes sustained damage. The extensive newspaper archive was destroyed; however, some of the institution’s historic collections, ranging from ancient Egyptian papyri to 19^th century photographs, survived. The reason so many valuable items were damaged is that they were being temporarily housed in the library’s basement while the building was undergoing major renovation; ironically, many little-used materials were unaffected, as they had been previously put into storage at an off-campus site.[2]

Fire: Hastings Library, Dakota County, Minnesota—June 1993. A devastating blaze, believed to have been caused by a faulty computer surge protector, destroyed about 80 percent of the library’s holdings. The fire had probably smoldered undetected for several hours before temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees blew out floor-to-ceiling windows, melted glass light fixtures and telephones, and sent flames up the side of the building. Besides the effects of the tremendous heat, the collection also sustained extremely heavy soot, smoke, and water damage. Fortunately, valuable archival material that belonged to the Hastings Historical Society and was being stored in the basement was spared. Constructed in 1964, the building was not equipped with a sprinkler system or fire alarm, either of which might have prevented the extensive damage.[3]

Earthquake: California Institute of the Arts Library, Valencia, California—January 1994. The Cal Arts Library was only one of many libraries affected by this catastrophic earthquake. In addition to heavy structural damage, this library suffered contamination from asbestos loosened by the aftershocks. Ninety percent of the collection was thrown to the floor, and cabinets containing more than 110,000 slides were overturned. An outside contractor was hired to move everything out of the building, remove the asbestos contamination, and replace the carpeting. At the time, this earthquake was considered to be one of the most expensive natural disasters ever to occur in the United States. With an epicenter 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, it measured 6.6 on the Richter scale, killed 57 people, and caused an estimated $30 billion in damage. Many libraries close to the epicenter suffered problems ranging from collapsed bookstacks to structural damage; a few were knocked out of operation for weeks or even months.[4]

Bomb: Metropolitan Library, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—April 1995. The bombing that destroyed the nearby Murrah federal office building blew out 90 percent of the windows in this four-story library, located just two blocks from the blast site. Thanks to the library’s disaster-preparedness plan and frequent practice drills, staff evacuated the building in less than three minutes. Amazingly, the building was determined to have suffered no structural damage, withstanding the blast far better than many more modern facilities as the large number of windows provided ventilation that helped absorb the force of the explosion. While the books remained on the shelves, it was important to get the ventilating system working quickly to circulate air, as the volumes absorbed considerable moisture and humidity from the severe rains that fell in the days following the bombing. An outside company cleared out debris and cleaned carpets, furniture, and equipment; but library staffers, wearing protective clothing, wielding hand-vacuums, and aided by volunteers from other area libraries, took on the job of painstakingly removing dirt and shattered glass from every book in the 200,000-volume collection.[5]

The effects of 9/11 on libraries

Almost every year, libraries in our country have had to cope with many types of severe disasters, both natural and manmade. But none of these events, however terrifying and destructive they might have been, could have prepared us for the attacks of September 11, 2001.

To say that the terrorist acts at the World Trade Center and Pentagon had a major impact on libraries would certainly be an understatement. Three special librarians were killed that sunny Tuesday morning in New York City: Helen Belilovsky of Fred Alger Management, Maureen Olson of Marsh and McLennan, and her co-worker Margaret Quinn Orloske. All three worked in Tower One of the World Trade Center. A California library consultant, Lynn Edwards Angell, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, was killed when her plane crashed into Tower One. At the Pentagon, Army librarian Ann Parham was injured in the fireball of American Airlines Flight 77 but managed to escape.[6]

For many of the survivors, good disaster planning made it possible to get their libraries or information centers back into operation with amazing speed and effectiveness. At Lehman Brothers’ Business Information Services, located at 3 World Financial Center, just across the street from the World Trade Center, not only did all 58 of its staff get out safely, but the company benefited from off-site contingency and staff contact plans that were already in place as a result of planning done in anticipation of Y2K. Impressively, limited operations were resumed only one day after the attack. Everyone was back at work within a week, using several New York locations as well as Jersey City, New Jersey, facilities. Adding to the success of the information center’s fine disaster planning was the teamwork of management and staff, which allowed for quickly restored continuity of its business operations. Incredibly, in a short amount of time, the information center’s volume of service surpassed pre-9/11 figures.[7]

Although the New York Public Library’s New Amsterdam branch, located just three blocks north of the World Trade Center, suffered no structural damage, every surface in the building was covered with ash and dust. The floors, carpeting, windows, and walls were washed, the air duct system flushed, and all furniture and equipment cleaned. Virtually every book, video, magazine, and compact disk in the branch’s 40,000-item collection had to be individually treated and reshelved.[8]

Both the Pentagon’s library and the new quarters being prepared for it sustained water damage as a result of the plane crash. Conservators were immediately contacted and were given security clearance (as the area was considered part of a crime scene) to begin the recovery process for the 200,000-volume collection.[9]

The library remained somewhat in limbo at the end of 2002. As of that time, the bulk of its collection was in off-site storage, with staffers shuttling back and forth from a small Reference Center located on the Pentagon Concourse. However inconvenient, this nonetheless represented progress, as up until mid-2002, there was no on-site service at all.[10]

Fears of bioterrorism proliferated after the September 11 attacks. In mid-October, after the House of Representatives shut down and more than 30 congressional workers tested positive for exposure to anthrax bacteria, the Library of Congress announced that its buildings would be closed to the public and staff until the air-supply system was completely tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The library reopened at the end of the month. No evidence of anthrax was found, but 64 employees were advised to take antibiotics prophylactically.[11]

If there can be said to be a positive side for libraries stemming from one of the darkest days in U.S. history, it is that many institutions will undoubtedly benefit from new and strengthened disaster preparedness and recovery plans that now must take into account previously unimaginable contingencies.

Guidelines for the disaster planning process

Formulating a written plan is the most important step to take in preparing for disasters. By alleviating panic and aiding the process of decisionmaking, such a plan can greatly mitigate collection damage and reduce the costs of recovery. The disaster plan should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following steps.

1. Assign responsibility. While one staff member may have the main responsibility for organizing and updating the plan, a disaster team must be formed. Ideally, it should be composed of participants from a range of library backgrounds, including special collections and collection development. Other personnel in the organization—such as building maintenance staff, engineers, and security experts—should also be members of the team.

2. Do preliminary research. The disaster team can review articles about disaster planning and recovery, examine disaster plans from similar types of institutions, and attend pertinent workshops.

3. Set up liaisons with local emergency agencies. The team should contact community personnel such as local fire marshals. These people can then tour the library and see its layout and collections firsthand. In addition, state, county, and municipal emergency service agencies can help a library get a better idea of the area’s potential hazards, such as floods or earthquakes. The team should also determine whether organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be an appropriate source of disaster assistance before and after a disaster occurs.

4. Establish goals and tasks for team members. Team members should be cross-trained to do other tasks in addition to their primary responsibilities. One person may be designated as the main contact on the team, and a chain of command determined. A comprehensive phone list is essential, including the home phone numbers of staff as well as contact information for local vendors of supplies and equipment, and service providers such as outside conservators and drying facilities. Naturally, any list, no matter how inclusive, can be effective only if it is updated regularly. Realistic deadlines should be set for the completion of the various stages of the disaster planning process.

5. Conduct a collection survey and determine salvage priorities. Once a determination is made of the contents of the collection, treatment priorities must be established based on factors such as the intrinsic and monetary value of the items, their importance to scholars and researchers, and any legal obligations of the institution. Top priority should be given to unique items that are difficult or impossible to replace. These items may also be essential to the ongoing operation of the institution, be of prime research importance, or represent significant monetary value. They must receive the maximum possible protection and be ranked first in any triage process after a disaster occurs. Second priority should be given to items that are difficult to replace or that can be replicated only at high cost. These items should receive special protection within the limits of available personnel, time, and funds, once the first-priority items have been dealt with. Last-priority materials are those that can be replaced more easily or cheaply. They may be considered relatively expendable to the institution and frequently make up the bulk of the collection. They should receive attention only after objects in the first two groups have been appropriately treated.

6. Locate and assess potential hazards. A vulnerability assessment survey is essential to identify the types of emergencies that may occur, determine the probability of their occurrence, and judge how much of a danger each would pose to the continued operation of the institution. Every possible preemptive measure should be taken at this stage to protect the institution’s facilities.

7. Consider financial implications. The team should have an idea of how much money would be available in case of a disaster, and how and by whom it could be accessed. The institution’s insurance policy should be examined to determine whether the existing levels of coverage are adequate and to ascertain what procedures the insurer expects the institution to undertake following a disaster. A thorough, updated appraisal of the collection, including photographs of especially valuable items, is invaluable.

8. Implement the plan. It is of utmost importance that the written disaster plan be easy to implement during a crisis. Instructions must be concise, clear, and comprehensive. Because no plan, no matter how well written, can anticipate every detail of every possible emergency situation, it should be flexible enough to allow for adjustments and improvisation. Staff must receive adequate training (and cross-training) and should participate in frequent drills to ensure that skills are kept up-to-date. Once completed, the plan should receive the approval and support of the institution’s top-level administrators. All members of the disaster recovery team should receive two copies of the plan, one to be kept at work and one at home. Essential supplies for quick response to the kind of disaster that is most likely to occur (water damage, for example) should be stockpiled in various easily accessible locations throughout the institution.

9. Test, revise, and maintain the plan. It is imperative that the plan be updated regularly, whether or not a disaster has occurred. Names and contact information for pertinent staff, vendors, and suppliers may change frequently; new collections are acquired; buildings are modified; and new equipment may be installed. Even the most well-written plan, if it is not up-to-date, will not be effective when a disaster hits.

Conclusion

It is, of course, humanly impossible to be fully prepared at all times for any danger that could conceivably strike our institutions. Be that as it may, we cannot abdicate our responsibilities as the guardians of our collections. We must realistically assess our vulnerabilities and familiarize ourselves with all the necessary steps to take in response to any emergency scenario we may be called upon to face.

There is no substitute for good advance preparation when it comes to disaster response. Time invested now in establishing an appropriate and effective plan will pay big dividends in ensuring the well-being of the collections entrusted to our care.

The good news is that we don’t have to do it all on our own from scratch. Many respected preservation organizations offer a wide variety of resources—in person, in print, and in cyberspace—that can be of invaluable assistance in showing us ways to formulate a disaster plan customized to our particular needs. So, while we don’t have to be a St. Laurence, let’s get cooking!