Warning! Disasters May Start Smaller Than You Think!

I came across an article from InfoPro called “Disasters Come in All Sizes” and was intrigued by what the authors Stremple and Martone presented in their analysis of risk mitigation. “Usually disasters are thought of as large, newsworthy occurrences—earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, terrorist attacks. However, the most likely disaster for a company or organization is something small, such as computer software of hardware problems, telecommunications failure, or human error” (p. 29). On this particular day I read of another earthquake off the coast of Japan and threat of an additional tsunami. This article made me look at “tech disasters” in libraries on a microscopic and much smaller scale. This article is located on The Authority of Managing Records and Information website and focuses on everyday disruptions in service that directly impact the ability to effectively serve patrons. In particular, the following were highlighted: · Power outage- perhaps one of the most common means by which data might potentially be lost, libraries and other organizations must prepare laptops, servers and all software to adequately handle power loss. · Human error- While we might believe we are incapable of creating our own “disaster” in the workplace, organizations must provide the adequate training necessary for employees in regards to software manipulation and document versioning. · Network failure and Hardware problems- By backing up systems and servers regularly, the potential loss of information is minimized. In addition, hardware problems can be lessened when the manner in which the system is used (by employees) is more closely monitored and managed. This article also stressed the need for management or IT professionals within libraries to thoroughly test their plan of action when dealing with a technology disasters-- prior to actually needing it. By analyzing the prescribed course of action and setting up an appropriate time to thoroughly examine each of the steps within the exercises, the methodology can be tested and improvements made. It would be most unfortunate to determine those same results and objectives after the plan was truly needed! What most struck me about this article is that some of the smallest incidents can create the largest information disaster for libraries and other organizations. When the proper precautions are not taken, entire databases, catalogs and network systems can be wiped out due to viruses, power failures and other malfunctions. By implementing a plan, training employees on said plan and thoroughly testing the plan, these disasters can potentially be averted. Reference: http://www.arma.org/pdf/articles/DisasterAllSizes.pdf