Book Review: Library Anxiety: Theory, Research and Application

of the finest public libraries in the country . . .’ (p. 211) thus showing there can be a positive outcome from a disaster. Christine Wise’s experience of severe flooding at the Fawcett Library echoes this point. She says ‘[the] impact should never be underestimated; but it is heartening to know that a stronger service can emerge from it’ (p. 114). Christine writes up the experience in a helpful way covering as she says ‘. . . both the strategic and operational steps required to anticipate, prepare for and react to a flooding incident of any magnitude in a library and archive service . . .’ (p. 114). Whilst each archive and library should have its own disaster reaction plan which is cohesive with its supporting organization’s plan, thought may be given to co-operative planning as is the case in California. ‘Co-operative activity in the USA, or misery loves company’ by Sheryl Davis and Kristen Kern describes models and lessons to be learnt. The benefits are that networks improve an archive’s or library’s ability to respond to and recover from disaster. The chapter has a useful sample mutual aid agreement and a shared disaster reaction supplies form template. Finally, Graham Matthews contributes an essential chapter for further reading: ‘A guide to sources of information’ which includes lists of general and specific texts, publications and websites, covering all the aspects discussed in the book including national and international perspectives. To gain knowledge of practical and psychological issues and to take your archive or library service into state-of-the-art counter disaster planning you should read this book.