Preparing Together, Responding Together: Resources for Disaster Planning and Response

Whether you work in a large organization or are the sole library professional or collections manager at your institution, you should not "go it alone" when it comes to planning for disasters. The aim of this presentation is to provide listeners with a high-level awareness of available emergency response resources and to empower them to discover and develop resources within their own communities. Knowing what these resources are ahead of time is crucial because every moment counts, and thinking clearly and reacting calmly can be difficult. The presenter will discuss emergency response resources intended specifically for cultural heritage collections and GLAM organizations throughout North America. We will consider our communities and where to find more local resources in the form of regional or state-based response networks. And finally, we will focus in on our city and county resources, including how to build up our own emergency response networks and teams, through mutual aid agreements, group training, and collaboration.