Emergency plan

• Introduction
• Immediate action
• Training
• Web links

Emergency plan : introduction

Protecting collections in the event of an incident

An incident in a library is an unforeseeable and unexpected event that can severely disrupt the day-to-day lives of staff and users and damage collections.

A library emergency plan aims to make provision for the various risks associated with incidents affecting collections, and to make advance preparation for activities aimed at repairing the damage.

Emergency does not imply haste.

An emergency plan is a methodology governing intervention by the various departments and officers affected by a major incident. Relevant volunteers draw on knowledge gained through specific training on the practical use of techniques for saving materials so as to reduce the devastating effects of an incident.

This document endeavors, in particular, to set out the various thought processes and actions needed to put in place and properly operate an emergency plan to save collections: methodology, response to an emergency situation, response by type of material, and returning to normal.