Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Institutions
As one component of a statewide program focusing on disaster preparedness, this annotated website created by the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) of North Carolina provides the tools to create a disaster preparedness plan for cultural institutions whose collections are primarily archive, record, or library related. It also serves as a portal to other related online resources.During 2008, the SHRAB supported a series of workshops to assist organizations in creating disaster preparedness plans. View the workshop materials or consult the SHRAB pages for additional resources.
Support for the program and this site was provided by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Preparing a Disaster Preparedness Plan
Assessment Tools
The first steps in creating a disaster preparedness plan are determining your needs and evaluating your resources. The tools below will help guide you through the assessment process, identifying the strengths and weakness of your institution’s disaster response readiness.
Disaster Preparedness Planning
In the planning stages of developing an overall plan, it is important to secure agency commitment to the process, identify all partners, and determine the extent of what your plan will address. These links will help identify all the parameters to be included in a plan.
- North Carolina Preservation Consortium Workshop - The materials at this link were created by the North Carolina Preservation Consortium for a series of statewide workshops sponsored by the North Carolina SHRAB. This document guides the planning process, provides scenarios, and lists helpful links and a bibliography.
- Notheast Document Conservation Center
- Disaster Planning - In its series of online preservation leaflets, the NEDCC provides a narrative overview of the fundamentals when considering the development of a disaster preparedness plan.
- Worksheet for Outlining a Disaster Plan - Another in its series of online leaflets, the NEDCC provides an extensive checklist of emergency contacts, supplies, services, and salvage priorities
- SOLINET Disaster Prevention and Planning - SOLINET (Southeastern Library Network) provides a step-by-step planning guide for developing a disaster preparedness plan.
Disaster Preparedness Templates
Using the templates below will allow you to individualize a disaster preparedness or emergency response document for your organization or institution.
- A Disaster Plan for Libraries and Archives, Amigos Library Services
- Generic Disaster Plan Work Book, California Preservation Program
- Library Disaster Plan Template, California Preservation Program
- Disaster Planning Example Disaster Recovery Plan, Texas State Library and Archives
Online Tools
dPlan
The Northeast Document Conservation Center developed this extensive online disaster plan, (95 pages), a series of Web pages that require an investment of time to complete. A benefit to using the dPlan is its online accessibility at anytime; the plan is stored on NEDCC’s server.
PrEP toolkit
The PrEP form is a component in the Council of State Archivists’ Framework for Emergency Preparedness. Record and distribute your institution’s essential contact information using this convenient template.
Publications, Education, and Online Resources
(See also the SHRAB Resources web page)
- Disaster Mitigation Planning Assistance - An online database of resources sponsored by the Library of Congress Directorate, and the California Preservation Program.
- Disaster Preparedness and Recovery, North Carolina: A Primer- Created by the staff at the State Records Center, this slideshow outlines the basic elements to consider in developing a disaster preparedness plan, the salvage of materials, and who to contact for help.
- Heritage Preservation Bookstore - An online catalog of publications offered by Heritage Preservation, this website also offers downloadable online resources about disaster preparedness planning and recovery.
- Northeast Document Conservation Center Preservation Leaflets - The NEDCC has created series of online leaflets which address the preservation of archival collections including the physical salvage of items damaged by the environment, pests, and disasters, and the preservation of digital items.
- Northern States Conservation Center- The NSCC offers classes focusing primarily on museums and offers onsite and online classes in emergency response. Their site provides a list of online resources including some publications.
- Primer on Disaster Preparedness, Management and Response: Paper-Based Materials, Smithsonian Institution - An extensive document for planning and mitigation, this plan is hosted on the National Archives website.
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Records Management Training Program, National Archives and Records Administration - NARA’s calendar for upcoming classes includes sessions on emergency planning and response. Classes are offered in all regions of the U.S.
- SOLINET Classes and Events - The Southeast Library Network hosts classes on several archive and library related topics including those on how to create a disaster preparedness plan. Many of these classes are Web-based and can be completed online.
Last Modified: 04/30/2012
