7
Strategic alliances
Abstract
Librarians are wise to form strategic alliances with those individuals and organizations that can assist them to resume operations after a disaster. Those organizations will include vendors who can provide post-disaster moisture control, IT equipment, and services related to communications and transportation. Alliances should be clearly described in documentation that can include contracts, letters of agreement and pricing information. Such documentation should be updated regularly. Librarians interviewed believe that strategic alliances are invaluable for resumption and continuity purposes. In addition, alliances provide better levels of post-disaster safety and security for library employees. For example, moving companies are better prepared than library employees to move and store library assets such as books and furniture. Movers are accustomed to handling heavy loads, and are less likely to injure themselves than library employees whose jobs do not entail ‘serious lifting and shifting’.
Keywords
agreements
alternative sites
branches
clean-up
conservator
continuity
contractor
courier
employee safety
insurers
moving company
post-disaster
resumption
security
7.1. Determining the need for a strategic alliance
You need help.
After a disaster, your library’s business resumption, continuity and recovery processes might not be successful without the assistance of external vendors. Without prior agreements between your library and its key vendors you could encounter serious post-disaster problems including:
• slow emergency response times
• unprepared, ill-equipped response personnel
• a lack of necessary components and tools
• long waits for a vendor’s arrival at library sites
• worsening damage to facilities and systems
• employee displacement
• loss of facilities and assets that could have been saved
• increased risks to employee safety
• difficulty in resuming service to patrons
• higher operational continuity and recovery costs
• prolonged inconvenience for employees and patrons
• the postponement of important projects
• difficulty in finding vendors to provide services, owing to heavy post-disaster demand.
‘Lots of plans discuss the use of library employees for clean-up and related tasks’, says the Manager of Reference Services at a public library in Florida. ‘While library employees can do certain things, there are many post-disaster activities that they should leave to the experts, that is, the people who have the training and experience necessary to deal with disaster damage. Otherwise, various tasks might not be carried out properly, and safety issues could arise.’
He recalls the attempts of his library’s staff to deal with flooding from a burst water main in the street outside a single-storey branch: ‘The water flowed through the entrance area and into the stacks. At one point, there were five inches of water on the floor. Municipal workers arrived, shut down the main, and pumped out the water from the branch. After that, according to the foreman, the library was responsible for the clean-up. Honestly, we didn’t know where to start.’
After consulting sources on the Internet, the Manager discovered that there was conflicting advice about the best ways to dry out and clean carpeting, conserve damp books and prevent the growth of mould. His colleagues removed a section of carpeting and dragged it into the parking lot adjacent to the building. Two clerical workers became ill during this task, and another pulled a muscle in her back. Meanwhile the odour from the carpeting grew especially foul. Finally, the Manager and the Chief Librarian agreed that library employees should not make further attempts to deal with soggy carpeting.
In the end we called in a moisture control outfit. We should have done that in the beginning. The moisture control team arrived with protective gear including goggles, facemasks and heavy-duty gloves. They ripped up all of the carpeting and took it to the dump. It was not worth saving, and neither were several hundred books, mostly paperbacks. But the team freeze-dried several dozen cartons of hardcovers, including a number of my beloved reference volumes. When the hardcovers were returned to the branch, you could hardly tell that they had been soaked. I do not believe that we could have done as good a job of conserving them as the moisture control team.
The Manager regrets that his library did not have a strategic alliance in place before the flood occurred. Such an alliance involves a pre-arranged agreement between an external vendor and a library.
Before you can arrange alliances, you must identify the kinds of alliances that your library requires. Taking into account your library’s risk assessment and analysis, you should consider the following as primary categories for strategic alliances:
• structural damage assessment
• building and site clean-up
• post-disaster site security
• IT systems: hardware
• IT systems: software
• telecommunications
• transportation
• alternative sites
• employee counselling
• emergency moving and storage.
These categories are basic to most organizations, regardless of their risk profiles. For your library, secondary priorities for strategic alliances will include:
• emergency conservation of damaged books, manuscripts and other items
• office supplies and furniture
• communications with patrons
• communications with sponsoring bodies, for example City Hall, academic governing committees
• communications with the general public
• crisis management
• accounting.
To determine what other kinds of strategic alliances your library needs, it is useful to ask the following questions:
• If a particular employee was unavailable after a disaster, who on staff could replace him or her temporarily? If no other employee could fill in for him or her, should the library seek an outside replacement?
• If a specific physical component was unserviceable after a disaster, could the library replace it with another component already available on site? Is the replacement component ready to operate? Or should a replacement be brought in from an external source?
• Will the library be forced to deal with additional expenses without this employee or component on site after a disaster?
• Will the library suffer negative media coverage if this employee or component is unavailable after a disaster?
• Will library security be compromised in any way without this employee or component?
• Will the absence of this employee or component result in higher recovery costs once the resumption phase is complete?
• Will the absence of this employee or component result in inconvenience to patrons?
In the above questions, ‘component’ can refer to physical assets including:
• computer hardware and other IT
• software
• electronic data
• hardcopy books and periodicals
• paper records/files
• facilities, including the building(s), or specific parts of the building(s)
• furniture and fixtures.
‘Many libraries have disaster plans that contain a lot of information on the best ways to restore damaged books and other library resources’, says an administrator at a British university library.
There are numerous notes and tables concerning damage from fire and water, and not infrequently details about preserving bindings that have taken a hit. But there is usually little on the actual process, the tasks in their proper order, of rescuing a collection when it has been damaged. In my experience, the compilation of such notes and tables is more a feel-good exercise than anything else.
This administrator warns that substandard planning for the treatment of damaged books can be ‘politically appropriate’ nonetheless, in that senior librarians have approved the plans and will reject any attempt to enhance them for the purposes of practicability.
Negative library politics will play a role in disaster planning, particularly when we take into account the substandard planning that the higher-ups have given the nod to. Nobody wants to be accused of supporting the wrong thing. And so the bad plans survive, until disaster strikes and the plans fail. What follows is finger-pointing and refusal to accept responsibility. I have seen this sort of thing a number of times in my thirty years as a librarian.
He admits that higher-ups might have little knowledge of disaster planning, and might not be able to identify weaknesses in their libraries’ plans. Also, many senior library administrators worry about the costs of disaster planning, and will settle for inferior plans in the hope that disasters will not occur, at least not while they remain in their jobs. He continues:
Thus you become aware of a lot of ‘magical thinking’ around disaster planning. Senior people believe that things will work out, and that they can get away with third-rate plans. They assume that when all hell breaks loose somebody or some firm will appear out of nowhere and rescue them [en] and so disaster plans are not really necessary in the first place. I think the root of negative library politics is based on magical thinking.
7.2. Key post-disaster vendors for resumption and continuity
To ensure that your library can resume basic operations in no more than 72 hours, you should arrange strategic alliances with the following kinds of vendors:
• A moisture control vendor that can respond to your library’s call for emergency assistance after a fire, flood or any other disaster that involves water damage. This firm must have the necessary equipment (e.g., dehumidifiers, fans) and experience to repair damage quickly and at a reasonable cost, and to work with insurers as required.
• A conservator (or conservators) who can arrive at your library sites quickly, ideally within one day after the disaster has struck. Conservators should be aware of the kinds of materials that they will be expected to work on. In your strategic alliance with a conservator, you should describe those materials in detail, with particular attention to their age(s), pre-disaster condition, provenances and general make-up. If your library has French, Venetian and English incunabula, your description might include photographs of bindings and texts, along with mentions of special features such as bookplates and marginalia by former owners. The more information that conservators have beforehand, the more successful they can be in rescuing and restoring valuable materials.
• A courier service that will handle emergency communications and deliveries in the event of a regional emergency.
• Alternative sites for temporary work processes; for example community centres, schools, vacant storefronts and other library branches are all potential sites for resumption and continuity purposes. Site qualifications include adequate security, power outlets and satisfactory lighting, washrooms, parking, reception area space, kitchen facilities and office furniture. Note that while your library may maintain a good back-up site, management should still develop strategic alliances for alternative sites in case branches are damaged or inaccessible, or in circumstances where employees need additional space for other emergency purposes.
• An IT systems vendor (or vendors) who can resupply hardware and software at short notice. It is essential to provide this vendor with an up-to-date inventory and systems configuration diagrams so that they can stockpile the necessary components in case of an emergency. Ideally this vendor will have an effective disaster plan that covers post-disaster service at client sites.
• A telecommunications vendor that can rebuild the library telephone systems and other networks in the event of a communications breakdown. This vendor should also be able to rectify cellular telephone problems.
• A general contractor or contractors to repair damage to office fixtures. The library’s facilities manager might already maintain a list of preferred contractors such as plumbers, electricians, carpeting maintenance vendors and carpenters to work on-site in normal circumstances. The library should arrange strategic alliances with these contractors so that they will arrive at a damaged site as soon as possible after a disaster to make the necessary repairs.
• A security firm that can provide temporary guard service around the site perimeter, or in any damaged library building. CCTV systems can provide only limited security after a disaster, since not only are they prone to cease functioning when damaged or without power, but also they cannot serve to warn people away from unstable buildings nor prevent illicit entry of sites.
• An employee assistance program (EAP) provider that can offer support services such as psychological counselling after a traumatic event. Some libraries have access to counselling services for employees who have personal problems; in many cases these services are appropriate for employees who have been emotionally traumatized during an earthquake, fire or explosion.
• A removal (or moving) company to remove essential materials from damaged library spaces. It is advisable to let professional movers shift heavy furniture and equipment. Employees run the risk of injury (particularly to lower backs and knees) when they try to move shelving units, large filing cabinets, photocopiers and other furniture that has been shifted or overturned during a disaster. Ideally the moving company will also be able to provide temporary storage space at a reasonable, pre-arranged cost.
‘Moving companies are a godsend when you have to move a lot of books and furniture from a site’, says a head librarian at a college in California.
Every library should have movers to handle the moving and storage of building contents. Movers are much better at their work than library staffers, and they know how to lift heavy items without injuring themselves. I have three moving companies at the top of my list of strategic alliances, in case the situation at my library is too great for one moving company to handle.
7.3. Strategic alliance documentation
General characteristics of effective strategic alliances include:
• A contract or letter of agreement whereby vendor and customer (e.g., the library) agree on terms such as services to be provided, response times, costs of service, vendor’s access to library facilities, data resources and alternative site after an disaster. Contracts or letters of agreement should be renewed regularly. It is appropriate for the vendor to present revised documents for the library’s consideration. It is also normal for vendors and their clients to recognize the possibility of a force majeure and its effect on the vendor’s ability to provide post-disaster services. Note that it is acceptable to build post-disaster strategic alliances into standard service contracts, especially those related to IT systems maintenance.
• An exchange of information regarding resources and abilities. For example, the library organizes a strategic alliance with an online book vendor to resupply hardcover and paperback volumes that have been lost in a branch fire. The vendor indicates that it will need seven business days to deliver the replacement volumes. The library ensures that the vendor has a list of the lost volumes. Note that by means of the strategic alliance, the library guarantees its preferred customer status after a disaster.
• The library does not ask for more goods and services than are necessary after a disaster, or more than the vendor is capable of providing.
• A fair pre-arranged price. Premiums added after disasters are unethical, unless both parties agree on them. The library should not be obliged to pay more than the strategic alliance states.
• A best-efforts clause. The vendor agrees to make the best possible effort to provide post-disaster supplies and service, and the library agrees to make the best possible effort to take delivery of the supplies and services.
The library can also organize internal strategic alliances between different branches, especially those in a particular area or region. Such alliances would let branches know what to expect from senior management after a regional disaster, and would motivate branch managers to determine their site-specific post-disaster needs.
‘I run a branch in a neighbourhood 15 miles from the central public library’, says a branch head in Pennsylvania.
I have solid alliances with the two branches closest to mine. If something happens to my branch, its services will shift over to one of the others automatically. We have in place a system of announcements that will advise patrons of the change to our operations. I’d say that this kind of alliance would work for many public libraries, and would take pressure off their central administrations.
The library’s strategic alliance documentation should be:
• accurately dated and signed off by a senior manager
• contractual if possible
• detailed and explicit regarding the needs of the library
• detailed and explicit regarding the roles and responsibilities of the vendors
• detailed and explicit regarding pricing
• shared with all members of library management teams
• shared with the library’s insurers and external auditors as required
• regularly audited and updated
• inclusive of all appropriate plans, drawings, software, and letters of approval and permission
• tested whenever and wherever appropriate.
Senior library managers including the library director, the IT manager, the facilities manager and their delegates should hold strategic alliance documentation. Vendor names and telephone numbers should be included on the library’s contact list.
7.4. Updating strategic alliances
The library’s facilities manager should audit and update all strategic alliances annually. The basic questions include:
• Do library sites continue to need the services of the vendor in a specific strategic alliance? For example, if the vendor provides repairs to a certain brand of hardware, and the library no longer uses that hardware, then the library no longer needs the strategic alliance.
• Is the vendor in the strategic alliance agreement still in business and capable of providing the service(s) described in the agreement?
• Does the vendor have adequate emergency management measures in place? For example, does the vendor have emergency transportation and communications plans? If the vendor operates from a distant site, does it have adequate travel and long-distance delivery arrangements in the event of airport and road closures?
• Is the vendor’s pricing and promised service level appropriate when there have been material changes of risk at a library’s sites? For example, when a particular strategic alliance agreement came into effect, a library used five photocopiers. In the past year, however, it has acquired another three photocopiers to handle increasing workloads. The revised strategic alliance should take into account the additional photocopiers and their emergency repair requirements.
• Have the vendor’s contact names, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers changed during the past year?
• Has the manner of taking delivery of various items changed at the library’s sites (for example, new loading bays, sign-off procedures)? Has the vendor been informed of these changes?
Strategic alliance documentation should be permanently retained. Superseded contracts and supporting documents should be considered inactive, and may be stored off-site.
7.5. Adaptation of central library strategic alliances for branches
Once the library has established strategic alliances for operational resumption at its central location, branches can establish similar alliances to meet their needs. In many cases, vendors can supply post-disaster services to both the central location and the branches, and system-wide alliances are desirable. To qualify as a system-wide strategic alliance vendor, a company should have the following qualifications:
• the ability to respond quickly to client calls at one site, or at several sites simultaneously
• experience in making comprehensive damage assessments at a variety of sites
• reasonable repair costs and a willingness to offer economies of scale
• well-trained and experienced field staff, with competent project management
• proof of staff members’ trade certification available upon request
• high-quality equipment and a fleet of well-maintained vehicles
• the ability to make quality repairs for the short or long term
• a documentation system for recordkeeping at a number of a client’s sites
• a willingness to make comprehensive follow-ups for quality control
• a willingness to consider the human factor at disaster sites
• a good reputation in the library’s region
• a good reputation among insurers, and references from insurance clients
• the ability to travel to various points around the library’s region, and between different client sites
• emergency and disaster management planning in place for project staff and field crews.
While senior managers including the director should retain the master copies of all strategic alliance documents, the library’s branches should keep copies of those documents for quick reference.
If different vendors are selected to provide post-disaster service to branches, those vendors must still provide the highest quality of service. It is appropriate for branches to select their own vendors for reasons of:
• a distance greater than twenty miles from the central location, and possible post-disaster communications problems
• proximity of the vendor to the branch
• experience of the vendor in dealing with problems specific to the branch and its neighbourhood (e.g., damage from winter storms, riparian flooding, high winds)
• direction from insurers
• strong recommendation from the branch staff
• strong recommendation from the facility manager
• a previous alliance that can be adapted for resumption and continuity purposes
• a potential for site isolation owing to road closures, communication problems and severe weather.
Note that a vendor is not necessarily qualified to enter into a strategic alliance with the library simply because it has done business with the library in the past.
7.6. Going it alone?
In their belief that they can mange post-disaster circumstances without external assistance some large libraries may choose not to enter into strategic alliances. Such libraries might have departments that include conservators, facility management personnel and advanced communications systems. Even these libraries, however, might need help after a disaster that causes serious damage.
‘Especially with extensive IT operations, and all the new computer equipment that libraries need these days, I’d say that almost every library needs reliable outside arrangements with the right people’, says an IT specialist at a university in Colorado.
At our library we have alliances with every IT vendor we deal with. We have alliances with a full range of contractors. While we have a conservator on staff, she has alliances with several other conservators in our state. We think that we’re reasonably well covered if a disaster occurs. We even invite vendor representatives to our disaster response training sessions. I don’t know how we could resume operations without all of that outside help.
7.7. References
7.7.1. Interviews
In this chapter I have quoted a British library administrator, and librarians in Florida, California, Pennsylvania and Colorado.
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