The readiness of Egyptian public libraries to deal with crises and disasters

The purpose of this study is to identify the extent of policies, plans to
confront crises and disasters in Egyptian public libraries, to monitor the forms of
crises, disasters that have actually occurred in Egyptian public libraries, and to
analyze the procedures in Egyptian public libraries, which ensure prevention and
response to crises and disasters. On the reality of the training of specialists in
Egyptian public libraries, which is being studied in the face of crises and
disasters. It also aims to identify the proposals of the directors of public libraries
in Egypt to support methods of prevention, One of the most important findings of
the study is that more than half of the public libraries under study have a written
policy to deal with crises and disasters, but they are not comprehensive. One of
the most important library proposals to support crisis and disaster prevention is to
enhance the internal security of the library by placing iron on windows and doors,
The purchase of robbery detection devices, the functioning of a virtual evacuation
simulation system and training in all forms of crisis.
Results
1. All the libraries in which there is a disaster and crisis management team.
2. 95.45% of the public libraries under study The crisis and disaster team
consists of the security officer and his staff.
3. 54.54% of public libraries under study have a written policy for dealing
with crises and disasters, but they are not only library-specific and not
comprehensive.
4. All public libraries in Egypt have a budget for disasters and crises and this
budget is sufficient to some extent, but this budget is not independent, it is
the budget of the library.
5. All the libraries under study have no insurance on their contents.
6. The libraries under study were subjected to six types of crises: viruses,
theft, deliberate sabotage, data spying, fire and electric diamonds.
7. The libraries under study have succeeded in carrying out deterrent
measures (fire, insects, rodents, pests, micro-disasters, administrative
crises, and health crises), while the procedures followed by libraries to
deal with electronic crises, theft and vandalism are insufficient.
8. The libraries in question have not taken any precautionary measures
against natural disasters and have not prepared them at all.