Replies to This Forum

Permalink Reply by S.B.Sharma on December 4, 2015 at 21:58

Ajit Ji,

Thanking you for sharing valuable opinion regarding Disaster at Libraries in our country. We must think about to solve this kind of situation. Government of India and we do the needful. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by cheepurupalli nageswararao on December 5, 2015 at 0:26

It is very good sir but insurance companies are not able to given the insurance to our libraries. I have no idea sir .we want need to insurance to our libraries. you are give the good information to our professionals. In our country  any  institute will give training  to our professionals.please give  that type of institutes information to

our professionals.thank you sir

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on December 6, 2015 at 18:56

A Big Thanks to you Sri Ajit P.

Generally it is advised to set up libraries in the Ground Floors as Library materials (books/Bound Volumes of Journals and Racks etc. altogether have more Static Load.

In my immediate past office, in the former location, earlier the Library was in the Ground floor and often used to be affected by the infamous water logging in that area. At the new premise, where the Library is spread along three floors, books bearing Call No. 000 to 390 are still on the Ground Floor though the floor level is more than Four feet High from the Ground level and without any FLOOD situation they are rather safe. But still, admittedly, with the latest Chennai episode, I feel that the collection is not so safe as we believed.

Though I left the organization only a few months ago because of superannuation, I have my sentiment for that Library as I too have some contribution for its development to its present form. Fortunately, I have left behind a group of very competent professionals and I am passing this concern to them and the authority as I have gone through your post.

My present library (located in a coastal area) is safe though; as I have to scale nearly 50 steps everyday to enter into the Library at the second floor which is more than 40 feet above the ground level.

I personally feel that since the Library resources are changing from print to electronic materials, the concept of STATIC LOAD does not hold good any longer. As such, we should seriously think about setting up of Libraries from the disaster management points.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray   

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Munesh Kumar on December 8, 2015 at 18:39

Dear Sir,

Thank you for a very informative and precautionary note on saving libraries from disasters.

Sir, actually in libraries there are three major components, Library Collection (here physical collections including computers are applicable), Users and Buildings are to be taken care. If talk about the each of them separably separately in view point of disaster management then we need to separate each of them and also need to distribute their components while at disaster.

If we do so we can easily control the situation. 

Let we talk about rescues and management during disasters in terms of physical collections; first we need to distribute the burden of collections, means we should make stack room separately and keep the books separately not at a place. Distribution may be done subject or branch wise. We can distribute the collection in each floor so that user mobilization will be optimum and distributed in each floors. 

Generally in our libraries, we make some common reading rooms and a unique place for keeping / arranging the books. It has been a right practice but it is not much secure and safe. If something goes wrong user will start running for safety, obviously there will a gate for entry and exit. We need to make emergency gates at each floors which should be directly taking crowd outside of the building without connecting the crowd of other blocks. If we store the documents separately then it will be easier job to protect them.

Use the fire and water proof selves to store the files and other official required documents.

Trained your staff to save themselves and also save some other entities if they could do while at disaster.

Obviously do not make ground floor for keeping the books, share the books in each floors so that weight of the books can be shared. By this way books and users both can be distributed and re-directed easily.

Take the backups of computer files and other data whenever you do any new work or addition in to computer files.

Periodically go for mock test/drill for electric wire and loose connections testing of electronic devices, ensure that they are working fine and submit report.

Add the disaster management points in your library orientation programme with all the exit and entry points so that the user could get some idea what to do if something goes wrong.

Make your library building fireproof  and waterproof. 

Thank you.

• ▶ Reply