Risk management plan - safeguard & emergency - National Library of Brazil

Foreword
Biblioteca Nacional has one of the richest collections of books in Latin America. It is one of the largest libraries in the world with more than nine million items. It is also the department responsible for carrying out government policy for collecting, keeping and preserving Brazilian
bibliographic collection, guaranteeing for present and future generations access to Brazilian intellectual production, which makes up the National Memory.

Biblioteca Nacional has developed ‘Risk Management Plan - safeguarding and emergency’ for the management of its heritage in order to safeguard this invaluable collection. This is a far reaching and innovative work that introduces the element of sustainability by using its own and permanent resources which allow actions of careful and controlled use of the heritage. Since losses may occur at any time and in any place, preventive measures allow the Biblioteca Nacional to be prepared beforehand, as well as to act as a counterattack for any such disaster.

Internationally, huge global programs of preservation and conservation such as the Preservation and Conservation Program of IFLA – International Federation of Library Associations and Institutes -, highlight the need to “ensure that library and archive materials, published and unpublished, in all formats, will be preserved in accessible form for as long as possible”.
Among innumerous initiatives adopted by trustee institutions of library collections and documents to prevent or stop the process of degradation of collections, a risk management plan is an essential and effective tool.

The publication of this Risk Management Plan promotes the interchange of information and experiences between professionals responsible for the protection of Brazilian cultural heritage and thus fulfills a duty of the Biblioteca Nacional.

Galeno Amorim
President
National Library Foundation