Disasters make us acutely aware of just how vulnerable our cultural heritage can be. Natural or manmade, disasters remind us, as cultural stewards, of the importance of an uptodate emergency plan. When a disaster has not directly affected our library, our museum, our archives, we breathe a sigh of relief, and the urgency to create a plan is superseded by more pressing daytoday responsibilities. But events don't have to be catastrophic to have a profound impact on our institutions. Emergencies such as a roof leak or burst pipe can easily spiral out of control and turn into a largescale disaster if we do not know how to respond properly – if we do not have a plan.

Heritage Preservation is a national nonprofit in Washington, DC, that has identified threats to collections and has responded with practical and pioneering solutions since 1973. While Heritage Preservation's focus is on preserving the cultural heritage of the United States, its initiatives resonate around the world. In 2005, Heritage Preservation published A Public Trust at Risk: the Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections, the first comprehensive survey to assess the condition and preservation needs of US collections. The Heritage Health Index found that 80% of US collecting institutions do not have a written emergency plan with staff trained to carry it out, putting 2.6 billion items at risk. The global news stories about cultural heritage institutions that falter and fail in the wake of a disaster suggest that this distressing trend is not unique to the USA.

When cultural stewards are asked why they do not have an emergency plan, they often reply, ‘It won't happen here.’ This response is often followed by the false notion that if something catastrophic were to happen, there is nothing that can be done to lessen damage. Emergency Planning and Response for Libraries, Archives and Museums refutes those assumptions and provides you with the tools you need to create an effective institutional emergency plan. We can lessen the effects of disaster by ensuring the safety of people, by protecting our records and collections, and by taking care of our facilities.