Disaster Management Plan

2009-2010

Prepared by the Disaster Management Plan Committee:

Julia Blair, Chair

Liz Badke

Shannon Brodeur

Pattie Luokkanen

Nancy Seely

J. R. Van Pelt and Opie Library

Disaster Management Plan

I. Statement of Purpose

This Disaster Plan is intended to provide the Library with a set of procedures, guidelines, and priorities for staff and disaster responders before, during, and after an emergency situation or disaster. This disaster response strategy will dovetail with the Michigan Technological University policies without redundancy or contradictory procedures. This plan is a “living document,” subject to review every two years and changed as needed in response to emergency drills, changes within the Library, and post-disaster assessment in the event of a true disaster.

The J. Robert Van Pelt and Opie Library recognizes its responsibility to maintain a state of preparedness in the event of an emergency or disaster that threatens staff, patrons, collections, or the building. By their nature, emergencies occur without warning, and damage to a collection can continue unchecked even after an emergency situation has passed. The first 48 hours following a disaster may cause more destruction to a library’s holdings than the initial disaster. This plan establishes procedures for damage mitigation, post-disaster treatment, and conservation of materials. Resources for the recovery and salvage phases of an emergency are contained in this plan.

Michigan Technological University defines an emergency as “any situation posing a threat to the building, its occupants, or the environment, including the public water treatment system, which is beyond the ability of the building occupants to safely control.” (MICHIGAN TECH Operating Procedure Manual, Section 18.3)

Possible emergency situations addressed by this plan:

· Flood or water leak

· Fire, including explosion

· Wind

· Chemical or toxic spill

Print copies of the plan have been placed with:

· Director’s Office

· Department Heads

· Circulation Desk

· Occupational Safety and Health Services

Electronic copies of the Disaster Plan may also be found at:

· The Library’s website

· The Common area of the Library’s server (S:\ drive)

II. Emergency Numbers

Carol Makkonen, Financial & Operations Manager 231-3480

Public Safety 911

III. Key Personnel

The Library Director has designated the following individuals as the Disaster Response Team:

· Carol Makkonen, Financial & Operations Manager

· Julie Blair, Assistant Archivist

The Library Director will set forth a clear chain of command in response to the specific conditions of any emergency/disaster situation.

Mock disaster response drills and in-house training will take place during a designated Safety Week.

Keys to areas that may be restricted or locked are held by:

1. Circulation Desk – keys to Garden Level (basement) Special Collections area.

2. Erik Nordberg, University Archivist, Julie Blair, Assistant Archivist, and Christine Holland, Library Assistant – keys to the main Archives entrance and to the Archives storage area.

3. Ellen Seidel, Interim Director, Carol Makkonen, Financial and Operations Manager, and Shannon Brodeur, Office Assistant- master keys to all locked areas.

IV. Disaster Management Procedures

A. Following a Building Evacuation

No one may enter the building until it is declared safe by the Facilities Management and Occupational Safety & Health Services (OSHS).

Once it is safe to enter the building, the disaster response team leader will:

1. Secure the area, cordoning off the affected areas in order to prevent possible injury to staff and patrons.

2. Stabilize environment

· In winter open windows and doors to lower temperature as much as possible but not below 32 degrees.

· Call Central Heating Plant (CHP) at (906) 487-2707 and request to have the heat shut off if possible. Circulate air with fans.

· In summer request CHP to lower temperature as much as possible. Circulate air with fans.

· Try to lower humidity as rapidly as possible.

· Bring in de-humidifiers. Mop up water as soon as possible after source of water damage has been located and incoming water stopped.

3. Survey extent of damage

· Make notes describing the scene, including approximate number of books affected, and condition of the stacks (braced or leaning).

· Photograph the scene. See Appendix D for a Damage Assessment Form.

4. Formulate a plan of action and determine immediate supply needs and action priorities

· Delegate responsibilities.

· Appoint a person to meet and direct arrivals of off-site supplies and personnel.

· Appoint a person to secure the perimeter from sightseers.

· Set up a central communications post.

· Establish a work area to receive salvage material.

5. Make arrangements for equipment and supplies.

6. Make arrangements for additional staff to help in removing wet materials from area.

B. Collection Priorities

Remove undamaged but threatened material first.

Salvage priorities are based on the following criteria:

· Availability and replacement cost

· Cost of replacement versus cost of restoration

· Importance to the collection

· Availability of items in other libraries

1. Main Collection – 3^rd Floor

First Priority:

LD3300’s older theses & dissertations

TN1-TN23

TN140’s

Michigan Documents: HE356 & HE2700’s

Soil Surveys

UP topographic maps in drawers

Second Priority:

Everything else

2. Main Collection – 2^nd Floor

First Priority:

Government Document’s microfilm/microfiche

N 31 .D5 1996 REF Dictionary of Art

N 31 .E5 REF Encyclopedia of World Art

QL 681 .B57 REF Birds of North America

Second Priority:

LC microfilm/microfiche

T 8 .E6 INDX Industrial Arts Index

US Docs core collection

Within Reference: Q’s, T’s

Third Priority:

Atlases

Rest of index collection

Rest of reference collection

US Docs CDs

3. Main Collection – 1^st Floor

Third Priority:

Everything including artwork throughout the building

4. Main Collection – Garden Level (Basement)

First Priority:

Old annex serials along the walls

Serials QC173 .N8838 Atomic Data & Nuclear Data Tables

Serials pre 1930’s particularly in the T’s

Serials TN1-TN20

Special Collection: non-Gov Docs

Special Collection: Serial Set leather

Second Priority:

Rest of serials collection

Special Collection: Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils

Special Collection: SI 2.3

Third Priority

Research Help Desk collection

Special Collection: Serials set non-leather

5. Archives –Garden Level (Basement)

First Priority:

Calumet & Hecla Mining Company (MS-002) Employment Records

Boxes 365/001 – 365/025

Boxes 366 – 386

Quincy Mining Company (MS-001) Employment Records

Boxes 287 – 316

Quincy Mining Company (MS-001) 1854 Contract Book

Item 261/001

Keweenaw County Naturalization Records (RG 96-219)

Volumes 1 – 11

Boxes 1 – 3

Gogebic County Naturalization Records (RG 90-182)

Volumes 1 – 43

Boxes 1 – 11

Houghton County Circuit Court Case Files

Second Priority:

Reeder Photographic Collection

Archives Negative Collection

Keweenaw Historical Society Collection

Drier Collection

Quincy Mining Company Collection (MS-001)

Calumet & Hecla Mining Company Collection (MS-002)

Map/Oversize Collection

Copper Range Company Collections

Third Priority

All other manuscript collections

Book collection

Microfilm collections

Photo & vertical files

C. Delayed Salvage

· Unsafe Areas

If an area that has been declared unsafe to enter contains material that has been previously identified as being especially vulnerable to destruction, or is extremely valuable, Facilities Management or OSHS personnel will provide a safe means of access to remove these materials, even though the area is still considered hazardous.

· Mold

If access to an area has been delayed for several days, mold development may already have started. If there is a large amount of material it may be necessary to use fungicidal fogging. Fogging should be done by a professional fumigator.

(See Appendix E for available conservators)

D. Computer Equipment

Call SAS at 487-3636 to report failure of individual office workstations or an emergency in an office area which jeopardizes computer equipment.

In the event of a central system failure or any emergency (electrical, plumbing, etc) which could cause the failure of a central system, contact the Library Director’s Office at 487-2500.

E. Water Damage

Wet paper is extremely fragile and may tear at a touch. Any wet material should be handled as little as possible.

Moist paper combined with warmth provides an ideal condition for the growth of mold. In order to prevent mold from developing, it is absolutely essential to stabilize water damaged materials within 48-72 hours. Weather is critical. When it is hot and humid, 48 hours is the maximum safe period. When the weather is cold a bit more time can be taken, but should not go beyond 72 hours. Mold will not grow without warmth and exposure to air. Damp books are even more susceptible to mold than wet ones.

All books, even those apparently dry, should be removed from the affected area and examined carefully. They should be stored in an area with good air circulation, air conditioning, and with low humidity. All books should be thoroughly dry and be checked for mold before they are returned to their places.

1. Retrieving Materials

· If water damage is the result of extinguishing a fire, warn staff to watch for hot spots. Always feel something before opening.

· Never retrieve items if it means endangering life or other material.

· Establish a location for wrapping and packing wet materials into crates or boxes. Move tables into area to provide work surfaces. Cover tables with plastic.

· Establish a human chain from the location of books to the wrapping and packing site. If distance is too far for human chain, establish book truck convoys to move materials (cover trucks with plastic).

· A team member should be at the head of the chain. This team member should make rough priority and sorting decisions regarding treatment to follow:

a) Separate coated from non-coated materials.

b) Separate books that are so wet that they need interleaving from damp books that can be air dried.

c) In a disaster involving hundreds of volumes, the decision to freeze or air dry may best be made here, directing books to two separate processing chains.

· The disaster response team leader should not become personally engaged in tasks which prevent them from attending to different areas of the salvage operation as needed.

2. Priorities for Moving Materials from Area

· If books have fallen from shelves and are lying in water, retrieve these first. Water on floor should be removed as rapidly as possible to reduce humidity.

· Remove coated books before others.

· Remove any boxes of materials from floor.

· Remove wettest books next. This will also aid in reducing humidity.

· Soaked carpet should be removed promptly. If carpet lies under shelving ranges it must be cut.

3. Precautions

· Books that are to be frozen should be kept closed to minimize warping.

· Books with coated paper should not be allowed to dry out until they are interleaved or frozen. It is better to allow them to stay wet if they cannot be stabilized promptly.

· Do not empty cardboard boxes if they are very wet. Freeze as is.

· Always remember that reducing the cost of future restoration must be one of the top priorities of the salvage operation.

4. Washing Methods for Muddy Books

Washing muddy or dirty books is rarely possible because of lack of time.

· No untrained person should ever be allowed to wash water-damaged materials.

· Never wash books if time is critical.

· Never UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES wash material that contains water soluble materials such as non-permanent ink, water colors, tempura, etc.

This method requires a large room with plumbing and adequate drainage.

· Install hoses feeding to bottoms of 6-8 (20 gallon) plastic garbage cans to: