My original idea for this blog was supposed to be what not to do and library technology disasters. So here's a post that actually has to do with that. It's about what to do to plan for a disaster.
I found an article in the Library Journal online that was written a couple of months after September 11 (a time when disaster preparedness was on a lot of peoples' minds). According to the article, for digital systems, effective protection is constructed in layers:
-The first layer is disks, and the most secure way to store data on disks is RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive [or Independent] Disks) RAID 1 is the lowest level of security and is simply mirroring, while RAID 5 scatters data and information across several disks, which can offer protection when multiple drives fail (though apparently it takes longer to recover data than mirroring).
-The second layer of protection actually has nothing to do with computers. It's protecting the hard disks that the data is stored on, as in installing a fire alarm or security alarm in the room that the disks are stored in. Another option is an uninterruptable power supply, which can keep disks running in a power failure.
-The third layer is to make more copies of the data, and keep those copies in a different location than the first copies (well, duh)
According to the article, Stanford University implemented a strategy called LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe, no, seriously, that's what it stands for) which uses a number of interconnected but distant computers that share each other's data. So if one computer goes, the others have the info.
Finally, the article says that, in the event of a disaster, the best way to get a system back up and running for users is simply to direct them to a mirrored site.
Disaster preparation isn't something that anyone likes to think about, but I did think this article was interesting. I actually kind of wonder if the library I work at has any kind of system like that in place. I don't know that we'd really have to worry about redirecting users to another site, after all, if the library is closed due to a tornado or something, well, they're not going to be able to pick anything up anyway (and any and all programs would be cancelled). Though I guess they might want to know when the library is reopening, because how else will they get their free DVDs? And obviously, when the library is ready to reopen, it'll be easier to have the computers back online if everything is backed up to disk. I wonder if patron data is being backed up too? Or will the people with $150 fines just walk? What will become of our notes in their records that tell other circ people not to wave fines for that person because they're a jerk? So many questions.
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