This book aims to help those working in libraries, archives and museums to fasttrack the composition of emergency plans, or, for those with existing plans, to provide a new perspective and insight into real disaster recovery situations, which can be used to refresh and improve current procedures. The principal aim is that any plan will operate as effectively as possible if ever put into action in a real emergency situation.

Emergency plans serve to preserve collections, reduce damage to buildings and in turn minimize the disruption to service provision if there is an incident, all while safeguarding staff and visitors. Through looking at real experiences of plan activation, the book will examine what content is really necessary, based on the author's professional experience in disaster recovery over 14 years in the UK and Ireland. In this role, hundreds of emergency response operations have been observed, providing a unique perspective on the elements of successful plans and common pitfalls.

This book will convey these critical plan elements, suggest how they can be succinctly and effectively presented, and explain the rationale behind the recommendations. The book will help those writing and implementing plans to consider tactics that might be necessary in different types and scales of incident. The details of emergency procedures aspire to be straightforward, sensible and safe, and should work effectively in the challenging circumstances of fire and flood recovery situations. The content should be flexible, and adaptive to the demands of minor and major incidents. Those who may benefit from reading this book range from staff in highprofile institutions of international renown through to those in volunteerrun independent institutions. The aim is to show how effective emergency planning is accessible and achievable for all.