Handbook of Research on Disaster Management and Contingency Planning in Modern Libraries

Special interest in topics relating to library management over the last decade has led to the close examination of crisis management practice among library professionals. Due to the importance of the archives, documents, and books housed within libraries around the world, preemptive planning for potential disaster is necessary to all librarians and their staff. The Handbook of Research on Disaster Management and Contingency Planning in Modern Libraries brings together the latest scholarly research, theories, and case studies to investigate the scale and types of disasters that can impact a library. Through the evaluation of past crisis management strategies and future best practices, this handbook is an essential reference source for librarians, library staff, archivists, curators, students, professionals, private collectors, and corporations with archival collections to learn from the experiences of others, expand their definition of disaster, and create or redesign their own disaster plans with newfound awareness. This handbook features timely, research based chapters and case studies on crisis management, emergency response, exhibition loans, natural disasters, preserving archives, public and staff safety, and risk assessment.

Emy Nelson Decker is the Unit Head for E-Learning Technologies at the Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library. She holds an MLIS from Valdosta State University and an MA in art history from the University of Chicago. Emys current interests are centered on emerging technologies as well as new uses of existing technologies within the modern academic library setting. In addition to presenting in venues such as the American Library Association and the Association of College & Research Libraries, she has published numerous refereed journal articles and book chapters within the library field.

Jennifer A. Townes is the Unit Head for Information and Research Services at the Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library. She holds an MSLS from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in English Literature from Agnes Scott College. Jennifers research interests lie in information literacy, assessment, and faculty collaboration. She developed an interest in disasters and their impact on modern libraries during graduate school and has honed her expertise in the field ever since.