ODIN-PIMRIS Review Meeting & Training, USP, Suva, Fiji4-6 May 2011

Suzie Davies, IODE Group of Experts on Marine Information Management (GE-MIM)

Agenda

ThursdayCase studies

How ready are libraries for disaster? What GBRMPA did – were we ready? Video 'Introduction to Disaster Management and

Preparedness' Discussion

Video 'Disaster Planning' Discussion

FridayOnline chat with Nancy Kraft (expert)

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)

Australian Government agency

Based in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia

Located on banks of Ross Creek, 800 metres from Townsville Harbour, and Pacific Ocean

No disaster plan

Records Unit houses 20,000 paper filesLocated on ground floorNo disaster plan

GBRMPA Library & Image Services

Stock 10,000 booksThousands of volumes of journals70,000 photographic slides (originals)Thousands of maps & hydrographical charts

(many unique)>100 rare books of historical importance2,000 unpublished reports (unique)Shipping container in car park housing unique

aerial photography & serial back runsLocated on ground floorNo disaster plan

Cyclone Yasi - February 2011

c. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

Cyclone Yasi – BOM PredictionSystem will be a Category 5 cyclone (most

severe), largest system ever to cross Australian coast

Winds in centre expected to be 290 km/hourWill cross North Qld coast on Wednesday evening

somewhere between Cairns and TownsvilleCrossing will be close to a high tide with an

additional storm surge of 5 metresTownsville City Council published possible

inundation maps showing 75% of Townsville potentially flooded

GBRMPA's Decisions8.30am Tuesday – CEO held an All Staff meetingCEO decided that all valuable ground floor

material had to be raised to above waist heightHad to be completed by 1 pmStaff had to then go home to make final

preparations & evacuate homes if in flood prone areas

Staff were not to return to work until directedCEO gave Records Manager & Library Manager

permission to call for volunteers to help move Records and Library material

Implications for Library

Had to move:5,000 books3,000 journal issues1,000 sheets holding 24,000 photographic

slides3,000 maps

Move from ground floor to 1st floor40 staff volunteers came to help – human

chain techniqueWithin no more than 4 hours

Impact of Cyclone Yasi on Townsville

Cyclone crossed coast at Cardwell, approx. 200 km north of Townsville

Townsville experienced a high level Category 3 cyclone80,000 trees were blown over, cutting roads & power

linesTelephone lines and mobile phone access severely

reducedWater supply disrupted for several daysPower lost for 7-8 days, some areas for 2 weeksSmall storm surge of 2 metres (no inundation of

GBRMPA offices)

Impact on Library collectionWater leakages on 1st floor damaged

250 books 1,000 slides

Most staff returned to work Monday 7 February

25 volunteers assisted with moving books from 1st floor to ground floor (completed in 1 day) – human chain technique

Wet items separated

Recovery ActionsList made of all wet itemsSlides manually patted dry, laid out on tables,

returned to sheetsAll slides saved

Books placed on tables in car park in sun to remove excess water

Placed inside with 24 hour air conditioning, pedestal fans, hourly page turning, spraying with Glenn20 (for 2 weeks) 150 books were saved (100 discarded)

Saying Thank You1 month later Library & Records staff hosted

an all staff morning tea in Library

To show our appreciation to all volunteers

To show that Library was open for business again

4 sentences that lead to wisdom ...

I'm sorry.

I was wrong.

I don't know.

I need help.

Lessons LearnedWear shoes!Acknowledge & learn from mistakes madeGet advice from experts (eg. National

Archives of Australia)Develop proper 'Disaster Preparedness &

Recovery Plan'Already begun with new section in Library wiki

'Cyclone Yasi – lessons learned'

What Do You Think?

What did we do right?

What did we do wrong?

What should we have done?

What should we do before the next cyclone season?