Keywords
academic libraries
disasters in libraries
Latin America
How to Cite
Abstract
Literature tells us that resilience is an ability to recover from, or adjust easily to misfortune or change. History is replete with cases of the resilience of humans, organizations, societies, and systems. The University of Guyana Library (UGL) has endured some major floods at its current Turkeyen campus location, which have resulted in significant damages, and change in space allocations. Its survival after these disasters can be attributed to a combination of critical strategies. However, it has been recognised that for academic libraries to recover quickly and be resilient in the face of disaster it is important that there be plans and policies designed to guide risk reduction, response, and recovery. This research will document the effects of and the responses to the annual flooding that the UGL has experienced. It will also outline a proposal for the UGL as it relates to planning for flood and its effects, securing assets to avoid flood damage, and maintaining the library’s services and access to resources during flooding.
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