Disaster Planning and Preservation Management for Libraries and Archives

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering disaster planning, risk assessment, emergency response, operational recovery, and archival preservation management based on Guy Robertson and Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler.

What is a library's "risk profile"?

The spectrum or range of risks that exist at a particular library site or sites.

What are the six major categories of risk faced by libraries identified in Guy Robertson's text?

1. Natural risks

2. Technological risks

3. Human-caused risks

4. Proximity risks

5. Security risks

6. Enterprise risks

What is "water ingress," and why is it particularly significant in library disaster planning?

Water ingress is the seepage or entry of water into a building (via open windows, leaking roofs, clogged drains, or sewer backups). Anecdotal evidence indicates that flooding and water ingress cause more damage to libraries than any other risk.

What are the seven foundations of human-caused risks in libraries?

1. Apathy

2. Carelessness and Clumsiness

3. Forgetfulness

4. False Assumptions

5. Inattention to Detail

6. Ignorance of Internal Policies

7. Inattention to Laws and External Regulations

What are "proximity risks" in the context of library facilities?

Hazards that originate from things located near the library rather than directly inside it, such as neighboring buildings, roadways, retail areas, parking lots, gas stations, and bodies of water.

Why does Guy Robertson characterize libraries as "soft targets" for security risks?

Because their open and trusting environments make them particularly vulnerable to criminal activities such as theft, fraud, vandalism, and intrusions.

What is "social engineering" as defined in library security risks?

The use of deceptive and sometimes criminal methods to obtain sensitive information from people who are unaware that they are being manipulated.

What are "enterprise risks" in library management?

Risks concerning the ability of the library organization to continue operating, especially during economic uncertainty, including hostile legislation, severe budget cuts, project cancellations, loss of leadership, strikes, and negative media coverage.

What are the five essential steps of a Risk Assessment and Analysis (RAA)?

1. History-Taking

2. Inspection (the "walkabout")

3. Interviews

4. External Experts

5. Documentation

What is the primary function of a Preventative Maintenance Program (PMP)?

To regularly inspect and service building components and systems before something breaks, training staff as "problem spotters" to catch and address issues before they become serious disasters.

What are the seven components required for an effective electronic data backup system?

1. A person responsible for backups

2. An inventory of important data

3. Reliable storage media

4. Secure off-site storage

5. Secure transportation

6. A regular backup schedule

7. Regular testing of backups

What is the foremost priority during any emergency or disaster response?

The physical safety of human life (staff, patrons, and visitors), which must always supersede the preservation of collections, equipment, and buildings.

Why is relying on the existing library hierarchy often preferred over creating separate specialized emergency response teams?

Because of limited training time, budget constraints, staff familiarity with existing roles and work locations, and the ability to mount an immediate response without delays.

How do operational resumption, continuity, and recovery plans differ in purpose?

Resumption focuses on bringing the library back to normal operations after a disaster. Continuity focuses on maintaining essential operations during severe, extended disruptions when normal operations cannot be restored. Recovery focuses on long-term decisions regarding major losses, permanent closures, rebuilding, and organizational restructuring.

What is "biblio-triage," and what are its eight damage classification levels?

A systematic assessment to determine which damaged collection items can be saved and which are beyond repair:

1. Severe damage

2. Serious damage

3. Moderate damage

4. Light damage

5. Full clean-and-mend

6. Moderate clean-and-mend

7. Light clean-and-mend

8. Normal clean-and-mend

What is Guy Robertson's baseline definition of a disaster, and how must it be qualified?

An event involving building/equipment damage disrupting operations for more than $48\text{ hours}$, a natural event disrupting transit/communications for more than $48\text{ hours}$, or a serious loss of vital data. It must be qualified by the individual library's risk profile, as even brief disruptions can constitute disasters for specialized institutions.

What are the four sequential notification steps when declaring a disaster?

1. Notify employees in the immediate area

2. Notify other employees

3. Notify external administrative stakeholders

4. Notify patrons and the general public

What distinguishes a "crisis" from a "disaster"?

A crisis specifically involves negative media coverage and adverse public relations during or following a significant event. A disaster may occur without triggering a media crisis.

What is the primary operational objective of establishing strategic alliances with external vendors?

To ensure pre-arranged professional help that allows the library to resume basic operations within no more than $72\text{ hours}$ following a disaster.

What does the phenomenon of "convergence" describe in post-disaster patron management?

The gathering around or returning of patrons and curious members of the public to a library facility following a disaster.

How is "normalization" defined in operational recovery, and what is its target post-disaster debriefing timeline?

The general consensus among employees that the library and its operations have returned to normal and that post-disaster changes are acceptable. Initial employee debriefings should occur approximately $72\text{ hours}$ after the disaster.

What is "binder dependence" in library disaster planning?

The mistaken reliance on an unpracticed, static written plan or online document sitting in a binder, leaving staff unprepared to act when an actual disaster occurs.

What is a "tabletop exercise"?

An orientation or training exercise in which participants work through a realistic disaster scenario around a table, testing disaster plan procedures, identifying gaps, and developing problem-solving skills.

According to the holdings maintenance priorities chart shown, what is the assigned priority when the quality of holdings maintenance is 'poor-moderate' and use is 'high'?

Very high priority.

What are the four preservation systems recommended by Ritzenthaler as initial starting points for an archival program?

1. Environmental control
2. Storage and housing
3. Handling and use
4. Duplication and reformatting

What percentage of an archival institution's total operating budget is recommended as a reasonable goal for preservation activities?

At least $10\text{--}15\%$ of the total archives budget.

What hand papermaking tools are depicted in this technical drawing by Pamela Spitzmueller?

A paper mold with watermarking wires and an accompanying removable deckle.

In the pH scale chart shown, which numerical value represents a neutral condition, and which ranges denote acidic versus alkaline environments?

A value of $7$ represents neutral, values from $0$ to $6$ represent acidic, and values from $8$ to $14$ represent alkaline (basic).

What distinguishes "alkaline-buffered paper" from paper that is merely "acid-free"?

Acid-free paper has a neutral or non-acidic pH at the time of manufacture, whereas alkaline-buffered paper contains an added alkaline reserve (typically calcium carbonate) that actively neutralizes future acid formation.

What chemical components form traditional iron gall ink, and why does it endanger paper records?

It is made from ferrous sulphate combined with gallic and tannic acids derived from tree nut galls. It becomes highly acidic over time, causing paper embrittlement, burning, and permanent informational loss.

What is "red rot" in vegetable-tanned leather bindings, and what causes it?

A condition where leather deteriorates into a crumbly, reddish-brown powder, caused by acidic degradation from residual sulphuric acid introduced during fast tanning or absorbed from environmental pollution.

How do vellum, parchment, and tawed skins differ from leather?

None of them are tanned. Vellum is made from unsplit calfskin treated in lime and scraped under tension; parchment is made from split sheepskin via the same lime process; tawed skins are preserved in alum and salt solutions without tanning.

Why is polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) preferred over cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate for photographic films?

Polyester is dimensionally and chemically stable. Cellulose nitrate is highly flammable and emits nitric acid, while cellulose acetate shrinks, buckles, and degrades to release acetic acid ("vinegar syndrome").

What causes "silver mirroring" on historical black-and-white photographs?

The degradation of metallic image silver caused by exposure to atmospheric moisture, oxidizing gases, or pollutants, creating a characteristic bluish metallic sheen on the surface.

Why are rubber-based pressure-sensitive adhesives strictly prohibited for archival materials?

They readily oxidize in light, lose their adhesive bond, leave sticky residues, and cause irreversible embrittlement and permanent disfiguring stains on paper and photographs.

What are the recommended temperature and relative humidity levels for general mixed archival collections?

A constant temperature of $70^\circ\text{F} \pm 2^\circ\text{F}$ and a constant relative humidity of $45\% \pm 2\%$, maintained $24\text{ hours}$ a day, year-round.

What environmental conditions are recommended for preserving photographic materials?

A maximum temperature of $68^\circ\text{F}$ (lower for color materials) and a constant relative humidity of $35\%$.

What is the difference between "macroenvironment" and "microenvironment" in archival storage?

A macroenvironment is the prevailing climate within a large open space or room. A microenvironment is the local climate within a small, specific space, such as inside an archival box, an exhibit case, or on a specific shelf.

How do adsorption filtration and mechanical filtration differ in HVAC air systems?

Adsorption filtration uses materials like activated charcoal to trap gaseous pollutants (such as sulfur dioxide and ozone), whereas mechanical filtration uses fibrous filters to trap solid particulates (such as dust and soot).

What is "foxing" on archival paper and drawings?

Small brown or rust-colored spots appearing on paper, typically associated with fungal mold growth and trace metal impurities in the paper structure.

Why should a bound book never be pulled from a shelf by its headcap?

Pulling on the headcap tears and permanently breaks the binding structure and spine of the volume.

Why are clean, lint-free gloves required when handling unencapsulated photographic prints and negatives?

Because bare fingers transfer natural skin oils, acids, and dirt, causing permanent fingerprints, staining, and chemical deterioration on photographic emulsions.