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Disaster Planning for Art Museum Libraries

We are in the throes of trying to upgrade our disaster plan.

I should very much appreciate comments from any art museum librarians
who have sophisticated disaster plans.   Copies of plans would be
wonderful but I realize that some institutions prefer to keep them
confidential.

I have had tremendous help from our Conservation Department, who
supervise the general disaster plan, but I am now working on criteria
and lists for prioritizing items for rescue and/or salvage.  It is easy
enough to come up with broad criteria for rescue/salvage but a list of
individual titles is harder.  I have made numerous attempts to produce
such a list but with rather unsatisfactory results and have come up with
a number of questions.

Do other libraries have lists?
Are items listed by individual title or category?
How many items are listed?
What types of items are listed?
Are listed items scattered all over the library or in close proximity to
each other, or grouped?

Many thanks to anyone out there who can help.




J. Margaret Shaw
Chief Librarian
National Gallery of Australia Research Library
GPO Box 1150
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia

Telephone: 61-(0)2-6240 6532
Fax:            61-(0)2-6273 2155

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