Disaster Preparedness of Academic Libraries: A Case Study From Indonesia

Abstract

Disaster preparedness activities are important for libraries, as they collect and provide access to information and knowledge of human intellectual ideas and work. This study aims to identify potential disasters that may be experienced by academic libraries in Indonesia as well as their disaster preparedness activities. A quantitative approach was used to survey 85 academic library representatives who attended an academic librarian forum in Jakarta, Indonesia. The results identified the many types of natural and manmade disasters that have already and continue to threaten collections and services of respondent libraries. In addition to earthquakes and floods, threats include risks from human actions such as theft and vandalism, as well as problems arising from unstable electrical power supplies, and hardware and software malfunctions. This study also found that the majority of libraries participating in the study do not have a disaster preparedness plan.

Public libraries’ responses to a global pandemic: Bangladesh perspectives

“…Rachman (2020) shows that the majority of libraries in Jakarta, Indonesia, have no preparedness plan for a disaster. Even the majority of the university libraries in India and Pakistan, which share the same geographical location and administrative structure, are ignorant of this important aspect of library disaster planning (Kaur, 2016).…”

“…In such a global context, service industries like libraries and information institutions have a significant role to play. A body of literature reports on the responses of libraries to global pandemics and disasters (Chisita, 2020; Fitzgerald, 2020; Jæger and Blaabæk, 2020; Kosciejew, 2020; Ocholla and Ocholla, 2020; Rachman, 2020; Tammaro, 2020; Zarocostas, 2020).…”

Embracing Emerging Technologies in the New Normal: Libraries Staying Connected with Patrons During the Pandemic

“…In Ghana, most academic libraries are not autonomous, relying heavily on their parent academic institutions for most financial decisions. As a result, these academic institutions try to minimise the cost of operation by acquiring tools that can serve a wider scope of the institution (Ajayi, Adetayo, Gbotoso & Salvador, 2021;Rachman, 2020;Rafi, Ahmad, Naeem & Jianming, 2020). Thus, once a digital collaboration tool has been acquired for teaching, the library is expected to use it for its service delivery.…”

When a disaster strikes: Are libraries in the Philippines ready?

“…Besides such catastrophes, libraries in Myanmar (Bradley, 2017) and Vietnam (Lan, 2005) frequently face typhoon risks. Furthermore, libraries in the region are confronted with ongoing risks from human-induced hazards, such as theft, vandalism (Maidabino and Ngah, 2010; Rachman, 2020), arson, civil unrest, war (Superio, Abaday, Oliveros et al, 2019) and an unstable electric power supply, leading to potential computer hardware and software malfunctions (Rachman, 2020). In Myanmar, the existence of libraries is also threatened by government censorship (Bradley, 2017).…”

“…Despite the regular occurrence of disasters that have devastated libraries in the Philippines and the rest of South East Asia, research indicates that disaster preparedness remains an uncommon practice, particularly concerning developing and maintaining DMPs. For instance, this issue is evident in academic libraries in Indonesia (Rachman, 2020), Malaysia (Khalid and Dol, 2015) and the Philippines (Abequibel and Caballero, 2019; Orenia and Cabonero, 2023; Superio, Abaday, Oliveros et al, 2019; Superio, Alayon and Oliveros, 2019), as well as the majority of libraries in Thailand (Sapphansaen, 2009). Although most of the libraries in the region have disaster preparedness equipment and practices that could help safeguard their collections in the event of a disaster, a crucial aspect remains absent – well-trained staff who are capable of responding to emergencies.…”