An Ounce of Prevention: Integrated Disaster Planning for Archives, Libraries, and Record Centres

Citation

Zhang, W. (2003), "An Ounce of Prevention: Integrated Disaster Planning for Archives, Libraries, and Record Centres", New Library World, Vol. 104 No. 11/12, pp. 519-520. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800310508795

This is an update of the 1985 edition of An Ounce of Prevention: A Handbook on Disaster Contingency Planning for Archives, Libraries and Record Centres. The first book, which won the Waldo Gifford Leland Award from the Society of American Archivists, has been out of print for some years. The aim of this edition is to provide planners with a pragmatic, broad‐based approach to “integrated disaster planning”.

The authors are library archival professionals from Canada, so the book has a natural focus on Canadian policies and practices. Both of them hold the belief that “the process of disaster planning can only be successfully achieved by first acknowledging it as a broad organizational responsibility – one that must be encouraged, managed and coordinated”. They further stress “the importance of an ongoing integrated process, rather than the singular goal of compiling information for a disaster plan”. In addition, the interdependence of all the phases of disaster planning – prevention, protection, preparedness, response, recovery, rehabilitation and post‐disaster assessment – is emphasized in their writings.

The focus of the book is on the protection and preservation of archival records and library collections. Issues of human health, safety and building design are not covered. The volume is organized into ten chapters, reflecting the desired sequence of disaster planning in all its phases. They cover: Disaster Planning, The Disaster Plan, Disaster Prevention Planning, Disaster Protection Planning, Disaster Preparedness Planning, Disaster Response Planning, Disaster Recovery Planning for Collections and Records, Disaster Rehabilitation Planning for Collections and Records, Disaster Recovery and Rehabilitation Planning for Facilities and Systems, and Post‐Disaster Planning. Each chapter begins with an overview of purpose, principles and process outline, following with necessary information to support its implementation.

The book also contains three appendices: the Final Declaration of the First National Summit on Heritage and Risk Preparedness in Canada in 1996, Emergency Preparedness Canada, and Resources. The last one is extremely useful, as it lists sources of information and assistance covering all aspects of disaster management, as well as related information on facilities, services, supplies and equipment. In addition there are selected bibliographies, disaster plans and case studies. Despite its Canadian concentration, the integrated approach to the total disaster planning process highlighted in the book could be easily applied to the United States and other countries.

The book is well‐written, well‐indexed, and has a detailed table of contents for each chapter. Special attention is given to disaster planning in the areas of electronic records and computer systems. Unlike its earlier edition that focused on single item conservation and procedural details, this new book is designed as a planning tool to manage the whole process (before, during and after). As the single most comprehensive disaster planning manual to date, the book is highly recommended to all archivists, librarians and record managers who plan to initiate or improve disaster management programs of their institutions.