What is Severe Weather Warning

It is inevitable that library staff will need to respond to natural disasters and emergency situations – often with little or no advance warning. An important part of emergency planning is addressing public and staff safety prior, during, and immediately following emergencies. All libraries need to develop a comprehensive emergency plan with clear, consistent, and concise policies and procedures for staff. The plan needs to provide detailed instructions for all types of potential emergency situations and should be periodically re-evaluated and updated to address new concerns or when new information or resources become available. This chapter will discuss the process of creating an emergency plan for public and staff safety, including reviewing resources, consulting with experts, developing new policies and procedures, and disseminating the information to staff.