The Library Security and Safety Guide to Prevention, Planning, and Response (Book)

The Library Security and Safety Guide to Prevention, Planning, and Response, by Miriam B. Kahn, Chicago : American Library Association, 2008. 129p.

From the ALA website:

Libraries need to be open and inviting, yet safe for patrons, staff, and collections. How can you ensure your library is both accessible and secure? Security planning, part of disaster response and continuous operations planning, is the key to proactively addressing potential safety issues.

Look over the shoulder of disaster expert Kahn as she walks through key safety and security issues step by step. This new book outlines hands-on plans to:

• Identify potential security problems
• Put prevention strategies in place
• Create guidelines for libraries and staff in case something does happen
• Minimize risk, whether to building, collections, patrons, staff, or computers

Case studies, along with 20 checklists and 10 sample policies and forms, are the basis for organizing and evaluating security plans tailored to your institution. Library administrators, building managers, special collections and preservation staff, IT managers, and facilities directors at libraries and cultural institutions of all sizes and types can easily adapt the tools. Follow these proven strategies to keep problems small and manageable, and know what to do “in case of emergency.”

About the author:
Miriam B. Kahn, founder of MBK Consulting, helps libraries, archives, corporations, and cultural institutions plan for, recover from, and prevent disasters that interrupt services. Since 1989, she has been working in the field of preservation, consulting on disaster response, and offering hands-on assistance during disasters. She is the author of Disaster Response and Planning for Libraries, second edition and Protecting Your Library’s Electronic Resources (ALA Editions). She is a popular presenter and teacher, offering courses at Kent State University’s Graduate School for Library and Information Science and throughout the Midwest. She holds an MLS from Queens College.