Last One Out Turn Off the Lights

Due to Covid-19, Duke University Libraries decided to close on March 20, 2020. We are working from home until further notice.

Before we left the lab, we made sure our collections disaster plan was up to date. We have several versions of this plan.

A traditional long-form plan that many of you have. If you don’t have one, here’s some help in writing one.
A one-page “get started” plan with critical phone numbers and first-steps to take during an emergency. We keep several copies of this in our disaster closet for grab-and-go.
A Pocket Plan with a complete phone tree on one side, and first-steps on the other. This is handy for when the power goes out, and when you just need to find a phone number fast.

image of Pocket Plan — DUL Pocket Collections Response Plan. Good to have when the power goes out.

We coordinated with Rubenstein Library to take the materials we were working on back to the secure stacks. This posed an excellent use of several sheets of delaminating corrugated board that we have squirreled away in our supply closet.

book trucks to return — Book trucks labeled and headed back to the secure stacks.

Before leaving we called the head of procurement for Duke Medical Center to ask if we could donate our PPE including N95 masks and nitrile gloves. They came over in about ten minutes to pick these up. I wish we had more to give.

N95 masks and gloves for donation — Not much, but every one counts.

With that, we were off to try this work-from-home thing. So far, it is going OK. Best part is that many of us finally have an offices with windows. It might be difficult to return to the basement.