Against the Storm: An Assessment on the Typhoon Disaster Preparedness of Academic Libraries in San Pablo City, Lag

Typhoon is one of the most devastating and commonly occurring natural disasters that occur in the Philippines. Academic libraries that house knowledge and information is extremely prone to damage brought about by typhoon thus they must adopt a proactive approach to mitigating any damage through a comprehensive yet efficient disaster preparedness program to ensure the continued services of the library. In this study, the researcher investigated typhoon disaster preparedness in academic libraries in San Pablo City, Laguna. The study aimed: (1) to get an assessment of the level of the disaster preparedness of academic libraries within the city in terms of typhoon-related risk and (2) to determine the readiness and preparedness of academic libraries should a typhoon disaster occur. In this quantitative descriptive research, questionnaires were distributed to head librarians and librarians-in-charge of Academic Libraries in colleges and universities in San Pablo City. The study focused on the level of preparedness, which included the background of the librarian, a written disaster preparedness plan (experiences and funding), risk assessment activities, and involvement of the staff in overall disaster management. Out of the seven (7) questionnaires distributed four (4) were filled in and returned and found suitable for use. Frequency, percentages, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the result. Results reveal that most academic libraries are not managed by librarians with a master’s in library and information science, and do not have a written disaster preparedness plan or a disaster response team. The researcher recommends academic librarians pursue further education and training, establish a disaster preparedness plan, conduct annual risk assessment activities, and form a Disaster Response Team. A strategic plan to establish disaster preparedness served as a major output for this study.