Disaster Recovery (Y2K and Otherwise)

Resources Available to California Librarians and Archivists

Editor's note: This article is an adaptation of a November 17, 1999, memo from Barbara Will, Network Coordinator, California State Library.

The California State Library's efforts over the last year to secure disaster recovery and preservation assistance through the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) was successful: Amigos Library Services has been authorized and funded to provide services to all California institutions over the next two years. Some of the services are Federally-funded, while others are fee-based. FREE to California institutions from Amigos is a toll-free telephone number (1-800-843-8482), available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central Time. Here, information on disaster recovery, as well as faxed details on relevant topics (risk management, collection salvage prioritization, disaster recovery supplies, bibliographies) and local referrals (vendors, conservators, library and archival professionals) can be obtained. In addition, disaster recovery plans from individual institutions will be reviewed by Amigos without charge. Also note that the following regional preservation groups in California are maintaining valuable Websites accessible to all:

Conservation On Line - http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/
Los Angeles Preservation Network - http://dlis.gseis.ucla.edu/LAPNet/home.htm
San Diego/Imperial County Libraries Disaster Response Network - http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/sildrn

For a FEE, Amigos Library Services can also provide Preservation/Emergency Preparedness and Recovery workshops or consulting services, including disaster recovery plan development. The same toll-free telephone number may be used to contact them regarding these types of services. Further information on these services to California institutions is available from Amigos at 1-800-843-8482.

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