The objective of the prevention phase of disaster planning is, so far as possible, to foresee and avert potential disasters, by assessing areas of vulnerability and taking preventive action (Matthews and Eden, 1996).

Building Maintenance

A regime of planned and documented building maintenance will go a long way towards minimising the risk of floods, fire, theft, vandalism and invasion by pests. Routines should include regular temperature and humidity checks in areas designated as vulnerable to damp. Extra precautions should be taken during building work. Those responsible should sign to state that the relevant checks and maintenance routines have been carried out. Establish the optimum period of review.

Equipment Maintenance

Equipment maintenance is essential both to ensure that equipment failure does not cause a disaster and to assure the reliability of equipment in a disaster situation. Ensure that equipment stored to deal with a disaster is included in maintenance routines. Those responsible should sign to state that the relevant checks and maintenance routines have been carried out. Establish the optimum period of review.

Security Measures

Security measures may need to be reviewed and if necessary tightened to prevent damage arising from break-ins, vandalism, bomb attacks or arson. For example, remove large shrubs and trees from around buildings to reduce cover for prowlers and position book drops where they can be monitored. Use toughened glass and increase security patrols where resources permit. Readers should be encouraged not to leave their belongings unattended. Staff should be encouraged to observe readers and note any unusual behaviour. Consultation between library and institutional security staff can provide library staff with advice on improving security procedures.
Security measures within the library need to be particularly tight where the threat of bomb attacks is considered a genuine risk. Expert advice should be sought before drawing up procedures to deal with a bomb alert.

The special needs and vulnerability of archival and special collections material should be considered. Where archives, particularly those containing loose, unmounted items, are held, advice should be sought from a professional archivist on supervision procedures. However common security procedures include: not allowing readers to take bags into the reading room; placing security cameras in the reading room; strictly supervising the reading room; limiting the number of files or volumes a reader can consult at any one time (generally 4-6); not allowing readers to bring their own stationery into the reading room; requiring that notes are taken in pencil only and posting security guards at the exit to the reading room empowered to search readers' files as they leave. Document scales can be used to weigh files before they are given to readers and again when they are returned. These scales will detect the absence of a small item, such as a stamp or snipped-out signature.

Institutions holding collections of rare printed books or manuscripts should bear in mind the desirability of such material to professional thieves, and the fact that the growth of online catalogues has made it far easier for the location of such items to be discovered. The Rare Books Group of CILIP has produced a helpful policy§ and the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA) can also provide help and support. If material is exhibited outside the reading room, its security when on display needs to be ensured.

Location of Collections

The location of material, especially valuable material, relative to sources of water e.g. windows, pipes, toilets and basements should be considered. If a basement must be used, it is recommended not to use bottom shelves less than 6" above the floor. A Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts standard (Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, 1997) recommends that records should be housed in an archival strong room.

Suitability of Storage

Shelving should be as robust as feasible to reduce the risk of collapse in a disaster situation. It has been found that rolling stacks provide extra protection from water damage and these should left closed at night. Canopies also offer additional protection. Some non book material may be stored in metal cabinets. Storage for museum objects may need to be custom made. Maps, plans, posters and prints should be stored flat or, if too large, rolled and fitted with a protective cover. Separate photographs and negatives and store in acid free envelopes. Avoid covers or envelopes made from plastics other than mylar or melinex. Archive material which often consists of loose papers should be boxed and the boxes marked in water-resistant inks. Archive boxes should be acid free. Avoid tapes and glues, which come unstuck and metal paper clips which rust in wet conditions. Brass paper clips are preferred.
Standards for archival quality storage, including shelving, are contained in BS5454 : 2000 Recommendations for the storage and exhibition of archival documents (British Standards Institution, 2000). This standard is appropriate for the storage of other predominantly paper-based special collections material and contains recommendations for the storage of modern media (photographs and audio-visual material). Storage conditions should meet BS5454 : 2000 standards for environmental conditions wherever possible. Advice on storage, or archival quality stationery, should be sought from a professional archivist or conservator.

Preservation surrogates

In the case of special collections material or other documents of particular value to the institution, consideration should be given to the creation of preservation surrogates of unique items, preferably in microform, to be stored in multiple locations off-site (National Preservation Office, 2000). Such work may also be undertaken as part of the library's digital strategy.

Exhibitions

The exhibition of material from an institution’s collections can be a valuable way of attracting interest and raising the profile of the collections. However, as exhibition areas may be located at some distance from the storage and consultation area of such material, care should be taken to ensure the security of material when on display. This applies equally to exhibitions held within the institution and to those involving the loan of items to another institution. The National Preservation Office’s Guidance on exhibiting archive and library materials§ provides expert advice on this topic.

Fire Hazards

Reduce fire hazards by replacing old and worn-out equipment or furniture with those made from fire-resistant materials, as part of an ongoing replacement programme. Remove redundant and obsolete equipment and materials. Have wiring checked regularly. Fit smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. Sprinklers may damage part of a collection but may also prevent the destruction of the whole. Advances in recovery techniques mean restoration of wet material is accomplished more easily than fire damaged material. A fire brought under control quickly by a few sprinklers is likely to result in less wet material than a fire which has to be tackled by the fire service. If the library has a book drop the location of a smoke detector and sprinklers above the book drop may prevent the spread of a fire started by arson as happened recently in an American library (Patkus, 1998). Especially valuable and rare material may be protected by fire-proof doors in an area without windows. Gas-based fire suppression systems are also available and are ideal for libraries and archives. These systems work by suppressing oxygen in order to starve the fire and immediate evacuation of any area where they are fitted is absolutely essential when a fire is suspected or discovered.

Infestation

Regular checks should be made for signs of infestation. The identification of library pests has been made easier by a document produced by the European Commission on Preservation and Access. This web site shows examples of pests and of the tell-tale signs that they are present.

Training in handling and collection care

All library and archives staff should receive regular training in the importance of good handling as a means of collection care. Guidance should also be given to users, particularly where special collections material is concerned. Non-library staff who may be in the library building outside library opening hours (e.g. porters, security staff, cleaners, maintenance staff) should also receive training in collection care and disaster prevention and reaction.

Procedure Manuals

Avoid key information being stored in just one person's head! If major illness or a serious accident causes key staff to be absent for an extended period, others at a similar level should be able to step in. Wherever possible (i.e. where confidentiality will allow) procedures should be documented and stored in manuals. Manuals should be checked regularly for accuracy and currency, and updated where necessary. Any updates to the procedures manuals should be signed and dated. All holders and locations of manuals should be listed in the Disaster Management Plan. Consideration should be given to training staff on tasks they would not normally undertake. They will also need sufficient time to maintain their new skills.

IT

Given that there are so many variables consultation with the institution's IT professionals is recommended, before drawing up procedures. Depending on institutional policy and the extent of library responsibility for IT services consideration may be given to devising a separate IT disaster plan.

However, there are basic measures which should be taken. All software and data should be backed up regularly on industry-standard digital tape or other approved media (decisions on frequency should be taken after considering the nature of the data and the demands on the systems involved). Off-site storage for back ups is essential. For multi-site institutions other sites within the library service may suffice. For single site other storage will need to be found, which is secure and preferably not vulnerable to fire, flood etc. It is advisable to use media from a variety of sources to minimise the risk from manufacturing faults. Archived data should be checked periodically for readability and if necessary migrated to new media. The integrity of data files should be checked periodically (Greenstein, 1998). Particularly crucial data may be stored using more than one type of software to reduce the risks from malfunction or viral attack.
Running anti virus software is the best defence against virus attack, but clean emergency start-up discs for each computer should also be available to reboot machines after virus attacks, should they occur.

Network security is a complex and technical subject and professional advice should be sought on implementing virus protection, installing access controls, securing menus and installing back up power supplies (Benson, 1998). Depending on the nature of the data involved it may be necessary to consider the use of encryption and firewall computers.

All backup routines, storage locations and security procedures should be documented. Any updates to the procedures manuals should be signed and dated. All holders and locations of manuals should be listed in the Disaster Management Plan.