Safeguarding heritage collections from disasters

By Dr Heather Brown, AALIA (CP)

Over many years, disasters have damaged and even totally destroyed many of Australia’s significant library and heritage collections. These physical and digital collections contain unique knowledge, and they tell the stories of our communities. Yet the risks to these collections are escalating due to the threats posed by climate change and extreme weather. Additionally, the increasing levels of cyber attacks mean that our unique collections are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

The role of disaster management in caring for collections is becoming even more critical. When a disaster strikes, all library functions and collections can be wiped out in an instant. Yet, effective disaster management can help to reduce disruption, damage and loss. It also helps to rebuild the resilience of organisations and communities following a disaster event.

ALIA has developed free disaster management resources that focus on the prevention and preparation stages, while providing links to other useful resources on response and recovery. The resources cover both physical and digital collections and can be tailored to suit individual needs. The ‘Guide’ sets the scene, the ‘Disaster Plan Template’ provides a framework for libraries to develop their own disaster plan, and the disaster ‘Scenarios’ are useful for training purposes.

Against a global landscape of increasing threats to our cultural heritage, UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Education in Asia and the Pacific is developing a new toolkit. Its purpose is to support trainers in the region to deliver much-needed disaster management training to the staff of archives, libraries and cultural heritage organisations. ALIA’s disaster management resources are one of the key practical resources that will underpin the toolkit. It is great to see the benefits of ALIA’s resources connecting with the wider region to help safeguard cultural heritage internationally.