Exploring

Fire Protection and Security

Security Systems and Procedures

Unfortunately, security must be a concern in preservation of collections. A basic security policy with preventive activities and proper response procedures is critical to the protection of building, collections, staff, and patrons. Security preparations can be coordinated as part of the emergency plan or as a separate parallel security plan.

Security Systems

Automated security systems have several advantages: they can act as a deterrent to intruders, they will detect an intrusion in progress, they will notify appropriate personnel about the incident, and they can provide a means to connect other alarms (water alarms, etc.) to a monitoring station.

Security systems secure perimeter access points such as doors and windows, and they protect interior spaces via motion detectors. A system is made up of sensors, a control panel (which receives reports from the sensors and controls the alarm), and reporting devices (a traditional alarm or some type of signal to a monitoring station). A security system must be monitored 24 hours a day to be effective. This may be done by an outside monitoring company, or in the case of larger institutions, by an in-house or campus security office.

The majority of library and archives fires are set by arsonists; one report puts the figure at 77%. Effective security systems and procedures are crucial to fire prevention.

Security Procedures

Doors should never be propped open for convenience, as this can compromise building security.

While an automated security system can greatly enhance security, such a system should never be your only protection. Enhance perimeter security by increasing exterior light levels, expanding light coverage, clearing bushes and debris, and securing windows, doors, and skylights. During working hours, insist that all staff and patrons enter and exit by a single, monitored doorway. Alarm all other doors for unauthorized use. Carefully control building keys and keys to special collections areas, and keep a strict record of all keys issued and returned as employees come and go. It is also very important to register and supervise all patrons who use special collections, to track the use of these collections using call slips, and to retain all written records of use in case of loss.

See Session 7: Disaster Planning for more information on security, and for a Security Checklist.

For additional information (including a sample patron registration form), see Collections Security: Planning and Prevention for Libraries and Archives.