Disaster Preparedness Training Session

By Crystal Arnspiger and Elspeth Healey

Target audience:
Staff of local public libraries (on-site)

Contents:
The training session will cover information that local public libraries should know in order to develop a disaster preparedness plan for their institutions.

The session will include:
a) basic information on how different objects are affected by water, fire, mold, and other threats to collections
b) discussion about the various types of disaster preparedness plans, including mobilization plans for pre- and post-disaster response
c) information on available resources, such as online disaster planning tools, disaster response services (commercial and non-profit), and sources for supplies (such as protective plastic sheeting and spill pillows)

Timing:
Half-day training, 1-5 pm

• 1:00-2:15: Powerpoint presentation detailing object information. This includes participatory demonstrations with actual objects (What do you do with a wet book? What do you do with a soot-covered CD-Rom?)
• 2:15-2:45: Group activity in which the librarians debate and create a prioritized list of objects/materials to save from their library in case of disaster.
• 2:45-3:00: Break
• 3:00-3:45: Presentation on pre-disaster and post-disaster plans and available resources
• 3:45-4:30: Group activity in which small groups develop plans for how their libraries would respond to different disaster scenarios. These will serve as the beginnings of their disaster preparedness plans, which they will continue to write after the training session.
  
• 4:30: Closing quiz and instructor evaluation

Instructional materials:
-power point presentation
-sample objects for demonstration in initial object information presentation
-handout with summary of most important points and list of local and national resources, including links to sample library disaster plans and online disaster planning tools
-blank forms and boilerplates to help them further develop their own plans after the session

Evaluation:
Instructor: Survey with comments section.
Content: This survey will be paired with the instructor evaluation; it will include a scale to evaluate which information and activities were the most and least useful. It will also include room for comments
Student learning: Short answer quiz (graded by peers together at end of session). We will warn them at the beginning of the session that it will close with a quiz