The first coordinated responsibility of the task force is to develop a disaster telephone tree. This is the crucial contact list of key staff and service personnel who should be immediately contacted when an emergency situation threatens the library facilities and the collection. The tree should list each individual along with his or her office and home telephone numbers and email address. The library director, facilities manager, and emergency coordinator typically head the list. These three officers (or their deputies) should be contacted so that appropriate action can be taken, and all three should immediately go to the library once notified of an emergency.
Library director
The library director is responsible for making decisions
involving expenditures, the services to be engaged,
and salvage priorities, based on the disaster response
plan and the advice of the facilities manager and the
emergency coordinator.
Facilities manager
The facilities manager must quickly survey the building
and take appropriate steps to lessen damage to the collection,
as well as call for any technical assistance needed,
such as from plumbers or electricians. The facilities
manager is often not a library staff member, so it is
imperative that the manager be well acquainted with
the plan and willing to abide by the library director's
decisions.
Emergency coordinator
The emergency coordinator is the person with the technical
expertise and experience to take charge of the salvage
and recovery of the collections. The coordinator is
usually the head of preservation and one of the original
task force members. He or she must make decisions on
the disposition of the recovery staff and volunteers
and ensure that the recovery efforts are carried out
smoothly and in accordance with the plan. More than
any other officer, the emergency coordinator must develop
recovery skills and experience, using them to direct
the recovery efforts.
