Guidelines for Manuscripts Repositories for preparing the Disaster Management Plan for the Prevention of Manuscripts

Range of activities designed to control over the disaster and emergency situations through strong system of storage, so as to restrict the damage Disaster Management deals with situations before, during and after the disaster.

1. Natural disaster

Rain and wind storms, floods, biological agents (micro-organisms, insect of infestation) Earthquakes

2. Manmade disaster

Acts of war and terrorism, Water (broken pipes, leaking roofs, blocked drains fire extinguishing) fires, explosions, power failures.

 Liquid chemical spills

Building deficiencies (structure, design, environment, maintenance)

3. Accidental disaster

Smoking, laboratories

4. Intentional disaster

    Vandalism, arson and Bomb attack

Natural disasters cannot be prevented, but measures can be taken to eliminate or reduce the possibility of trouble.Regardless of the many forms a disaster may take, the actual damage to collection is usually caused by fire or water.Even when they are no the initial factor, fires and floods almost invariably occur as secondary causes of library and archive disasters.

Disaster plan

This usually involves four phases:

1. Prevention

2. Preparedness

3. Response

4. Recovery

1 . Prevention

Identify and minimize the risk posed by the building, its equipment and fittings, and the natural hazards of the area.Carry out a building inspection and other factors which constitute a potential hazard.

Establish routine housekeeping and maintenance measure to withstand disaster in buildings and surrounding areas.

Install automatic fire detection and extinguishing systems, and water-sensing alarms, smoke detector, dust detector of air curtain.

1. Ideal modular compact storage system for keeping manuscripts.
2. Prepare archival storage boxes (acid free, age resistant archival cardboard0for keeping manuscript individually if rare.  These boards are long term protected from light, dust and atmospheric impact.
3. U.V protected glass along with anti-glare will be recommended for display showcase.
4. Take special precautions during unusual periods of increased risk, such as building renovation.
5. Make special precautions arrangements to ensure the safety of library of archival material when exhibited.
6. Install equipment’s to control and monitor the atmosphere environment.
7. Provide security copies of vital records such as collection inventories and store these off-site.
8. Have comprehensive insurance for the library or archives, its contents, the cost of salvage operations, and replacement, re-building and restoration of damaged materials.

2. Preparedness 

1. Detailed catalogue in standard format.
2. Surrogate (Analog or digital) of the data in offsite location. In case of digital surrogate the data copy must be stored on a TDR
3. A copy of the data must be stored in different seismic zone.
4. Repository must have a local conservation team.

3. Response

1. The immediate conservation must be done by the local team.
2. In case of major failure, Repository must consult local NMM MCC or approach NMM head office at

                                       Director, National Mission for Manuscripts

                                      3rd Floor, Hotel Janpath Building, Janpath

                                                         New Delhi 110001.

                                     E-mail: "Director" <director.namami@nic.in>;

4. Recovery

1. Physical data must be conserved as much as possible.
2. In case of data non retrievable copy from the surrogate must be created.