Getting Your Feet Wet
Date: June 24, 2009
Background and History: The Library of Congress Preservation Directorate and the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) hosted their third invitational meeting on forging a regional cooperative disaster response network.
Goal and Program Description: The workshop served to introduce participants to the topics of risk assessment and emergency preparedness through discussion and case studies. The damaging effects of water on the various types of collections materials - both print and non-print - found in most libraries and archives were illustrated. Presentation of accepted best practices for damage mitigation and the recommended types of supplies most useful during a water event were followed by a hands-on recovery session for all who attended.
Outcomes: The program built upon the foundation established by earlier Safety Net programs by providing hands-on training in recovery techniques for water-damaged collections. Participants gained valuable knowledge and critical skills for responding to disasters in their own institutions and for assisting regional partners.
Participants: Invitees included library professionals from a variety of federal agencies and cultural heritage and higher education organizations in the greater Washington, DC area.
Support: Getting Your Feet Wet was a collaborative effort of the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate, the Federal Library and Information Center Committee (FLICC) Disaster Preparedness Working Group, and the FLICC Safety Net, a voluntary federal library network for disaster response.
Report: Area Libraries Prepare for Disaster Recovery, reprints an article about the symposium as it appeared in The Gazette, an internal publication of the Library of Congress, July 17, 2009.
