Study disaster preparedness of libraries in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran (2017)

Background: Iran is an emergency state, and natural disaster such as; flood, earthquake or volcano may be occur any time. Therefore, libraries should be prepared for these incidents. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the disaster preparedness of libraries in Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: This applied research with analytical survey method was conducted in the libraries of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2017. The study tool was a researcher-made questionnaire that included 5 sections and 57 questions in three dimensions; building, management and staff in evaluating the preparedness of the libraries against unexpected incidents. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by librarian and statistics and its reliability was 0.85 based on Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Findings: Preparedness of the libraries of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences against flood, earthquake, fire, storm and thunder was 25%, 20%, 14%, 8% and 5%. The percentage of the libraries preparedness against all disasters were 14.4%, indicating a poor librarian’s readiness. Conclusion: The results showed that university’s readiness was weak in unexpected events and should provide a plan for natural disasters effectively.