Medicine, cash, cellphone charger, phone numbers on paper, photo albums, toothbrush and paste, glasses, cat food, credit card, insurance policies & deeds in a zip-lock baggie…Living on the Western Slope, I’ve had a Go Bag packed since 2001. This was the year when Lodge Pole Pine Beetle dashed through our forests and language changed from “If a wildfire happens…” to “When the wildfire happens…”
And, then it did – from the south, the west, and the north. Not long after, a trash truck knocked down the live, no-longer overhead, power line when emptying our library dumpster.
Every day is an unknown in a public library. You can’t foretell every scenario, but you can put together your Library Go Bag, so you are ready when something does happen. And, you can think through the return to the library post-event to ensure that staff are safe and resources are cared for without a need to scramble and communicate new information to potentially distressed individuals.
Are you ready?
Speaking with Colorado Cultural & Historic Resources Regional Representative Julie Page, retired librarian and emergency preparedness trainer for libraries and museums, she mentioned three must dos to help with preparedness:
- Take pictures, videos of your library spaces and offices to have if you need to work with your insurance company post-emergency
- Back up your hard drives and make sure you have them in an off-site location
- Identify priorities to remove of historical, unusual, or high money values and remember the scrap books.
Pocket Response
If you are not in an emergency or pre-evacuation position, look at Colorado Cultural & Historic Preparedness for the Pocket Response Resource and dPlan. This simple template is an oldie but a goodie and folds up to fit in your wallet (fires and flood often cut broadband and electricity access). A key part of dPlan preparation is having what you need at your fingertips including phone numbers, emails, and resources for assistance. You are not alone in putting this together. Click on the contact us link and CCHR-Task Force will provide support for development of a plan, pre-evacuation, and help after an emergency.
Response & Recovery Webinars
Smoke and soot seeps into everything. “Keep in mind,” noted Page, “sealed windows and doors make a difference. And, local fire departments might have fire blankets that can be placed over items not easily moved.” You know the woes of water damage on library collections. Check the After the Fire webinars for guides and actions under Response and Recovery. Included in the three-part video series are steps to take before anxious staff can reenter the library as well as when the public should be welcomed back if a closure took place.
It’s never too late to plan. Putting simple steps in place and having access to support can make a highly stressful situation manageable.
- Wildfire & Flood Support - August 28, 2025