Periodically evaluating and revising COOP plans is an important part of emergency preparedness.
What’s a COOP Plan? According to the Library of Congress,
“The purpose of Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP) planning is to help ensure the continued performance of essential services during a wide range of potential emergencies by understanding and prioritizing services provided by all areas of your organization.” https://www.loc.gov/preservation/emergprep/plan/coop.html
A staged reopening plan related to COVID-19 is part of COOP planning. As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the Library Board, Director, staff, and any necessary stakeholders should revisit the library’s reopening plan, revise it, and review the list of questions on our Considerations for Reopening page: https://libraries.vermont.gov/covid19/reopeninginformation/considerations .
Questions to ask as you review your reopening plan:
- What ended up happening, and how did we respond?
- What went well, and what should we keep doing?
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What do we need to change to help us do better as the next wave approaches?
- Who will be responsible for making these changes and by when?
Additional questions to consider as you develop and/or revise your COOP and/or Reopening Plan:
- What are the “essential functions” that need to continue if the library closes or if the staff/volunteers all need to quarantine? (ex: payroll, paying bills, checking the library building, preparing budget proposals, etc.)
- What essential functions are done by which staff/volunteers? If those staff/volunteers are out sick, who will be responsible for those essential functions? Have you set up a plan for cross-training staff? How will authority be delegated, who will do that delegation, what specifically will be delegated, and what will trigger that delegation?
- What items support the mission critical functions (ex: passwords, databases, equipment) and can these items be accessed offsite?
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What factors will be used/conditions must be met for the Board and the Director to decide to close the library to the public and/or to staff/volunteers?
- Will the library consider the decisions made by the local school board? The directives of the local municipality? Information and directives from the State?
- If the municipality does not close but the schools do (or vice versa), which would the library be more likely to follow and why?
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Regarding the current pandemic:
- What percentage of the library’s staff/volunteers/subs being sick/under quarantine would trigger a closure of the library?
- What level of cleaning or PPE supplies are needed for the library to remain open?
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Regarding future disasters/emergencies:
- What if the library floods? If area roads are impassible? If the library loses power/internet service? If there are air quality problems? Etc.
- How will the library communicate with stakeholders about the library closure, changes in service levels, or the activation of the COOP?
- What essential records must be kept, how will they be kept, and where will they be stored?
- If you need to relocate items, equipment, files, etc., who will do that and where will the items go?
Other Resources
- Emily Harris from VT Emergency Management’s 2020 VLCT Town Fair presentation: “Responding to COVID-19: Lessons Learned and Best Practices Going Forward.” See discussion of updating COOP Plans starting at the 21-minute mark: https://youtu.be/o-bhTEP3p-0
- National Library of Medicine’s free, self-guided course teaches libraries how to develop a COOP. Includes a sample plan template and advice on deciding Mission Essential Functions, developing an order of succession, creating a communications plan, identifying and protecting essential records, identifying alternate locations for services, and more: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/dis_courses/coop/index.html
(Updated: 5/10/21)