Emergency Preparedness in Libraries

Abstract

Libraries and other cultural institutions have a responsibility towards society, to preserve the goods entrusted them for the present and the future, and to protect them from harm of all kinds. How thoroughly this responsibility is observed and where libraries do encounter difficulties is at the center of this paper. A case study from the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History, Rome, serves as starting point, leading to a review of the literature regarding emergency planning in libraries from the late 60ies of the 20th century to the present days. Furthermore, the paper presents results from a survey on emergency preparedness, conducted in spring of 2018 amongst national libraries worldwide. In light of the sobering findings, the paper offers possible measures to be taken in order to further emergency planning, thus protecting the written heritage of the world more adequately.