Service Description
To assist Harvard Library repositories in mitigating and being prepared for collections emergencies, Library Collections Emergency Team (LCET) members:
- Coach repositories in creating, practicing, and updating emergency plans
- Collaborate with repository and facilities staff to identify and mitigate collections emergency risks
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Maintain a cache of less common emergency supplies, available to all Harvard libraries in urgent situations
- Collapsible, corrugated plastic boxes (aka Rescubes) in multiple locations
- Small amounts of personal protective equipment, hand tools, ziptop bags, etc.
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Offer group and customized training to Harvard Library and repository staff in emergency planning, response, and salvage
- Comprehensive hands-on workshops
- Tabletop exercises
- 1-hour emergency response (train-the-trainers mode available too)
- In the future, LCET hopes to coordinate a network of trained collections salvage responders for occasional deployment across the Harvard campus in support of large-scale emergency recovery.
Request information and/or service
For questions concerning emergency preparedness and response for Harvard Library collections:
- Email Weissman Preservation Center or call (617) 495-8596
- Email Collections Care or call (617) 384-6749
- Call LCET at (617) 240-2500
Resources
We encourage all Harvard libraries to develop a written emergency preparedness plan to prevent and decrease damage to collections that are threatened during an emergency.
Harvard Tools for Emergency Planning
- Broad Areas of Responsibility During Emergencies
- Collections Emergency Preparedness Benchmarks (fillable pdf)
- 2021 Library Collections Emergency Plan Template (editable MSWord .docx)
- Collections Emergency Support Network (HUID only)
- Collections Salvage Priorities
Outside Resources
Supplies for Emergencies
Recent Emergency Training Events
- (What If) A River Runs Through It: Salvaging Water-Affected Audiovisual Materials
- AV Identification and Salvage Workshop Handouts (HUID access only)
- Guidelines for Managing Mold Contamination
- Hurricane Preparedness