Supporting cultural and operational continuity in the face of power outages, storms, and extreme heat.
LHL staff expressed the need for clearer, more actionable emergency response procedures, particularly for long-duration power outages and HVAC failures. Preservation of materials, staff communication, and sheltering protocols were central themes.
Sections:
- Climate Risk Priorities
- Institutional Findings
- Summary of Institutional Readiness
- District Level Opportunities
- Repeatable Method
Recommended Actions:
- Develop event-specific playbooks (power loss, summer heat, water infiltration, severe storms)
- Align plans with the Library’s new accreditation efforts
- Update communication trees and cross-department coordination
- Review on-site vs. off-site storage strategies for critical collections
- Integrate updated hazard information from Climate Action KC and ClimateCheck
These steps help the Library protect collections, ensure staff safety, and recover more quickly after extreme weather events.
Climate Readiness for People, Collections, and Operations
This section assesses how prepared Linda Hall Library is to respond to climate driven disruptions and utility failures. It builds on regional climate projections, institutional experience, and workshop based scenario planning. The findings form a consistent method that institutions across the EcoDistrict can use to measure readiness and coordinate improvements.
Climate Risk Priorities
Regional modeling shows that the district will see hotter summers, more frequent cold extremes, stronger storms, and greater variability in seasonal moisture. Each institution ranked its highest risk scenarios based on collection sensitivity, building conditions, and operational vulnerabilities.
- Power outage
- Flooding
- High winds and storms
- Winter cold
- Summer heat
- Low air quality
- Drought
LHL staff prioritized any hazard that disrupts electrical power because of the rapid impact on environmental stability for collections and digital infrastructure. Flooding concerns center on surface drainage, roof leakage, and specific low points on site. High wind events pose risks from falling trees and roof system damage.
Institutional Findings
A. Key risks to collections, operations, and people
- Loss of HVAC control during power outages leads to rapid humidity and temperature drift that can damage collections, servers, and digital assets.
- Flooding can occur from surface water, roof drainage issues, sump failure, or blocked storm drains, posing risks to lower level spaces and equipment.
- High winds can damage roofs, break trees, block access routes, and create unsafe exterior conditions.
- Winter cold creates pipe freeze risk and strain on older mechanical systems.
- Summer heat stresses cooling systems and raises energy costs.
B. Triggers for relocation of art, artifacts, or books
- Prolonged loss of climate control in collection rooms.
- Standing water or observed active leaks.
- Failure of sump systems or roof drainage where collections are nearby.
- Wind or storm damage that compromises building envelope integrity.
C. Staff roles and responsibilities
- Security leads physical response, access control, and safety procedures.
- Facilities leads utility management, pumping, roof leak identification, and equipment stabilization.
- Library staff are responsible for collection movement, documentation, and securing of priority materials.
- Leadership oversees communication with outside responders and institutional decision making.
D. Protective measures already in place
- Raised storage for most sensitive materials.
- Existing flood barriers at select entry points.
- Redundancies in HVAC in specific areas but not facility wide.
- Emergency kits staged in known safe zones.
- Annual insurance review with updated records.
- Priority collections list completed.
E. Priority collections lists
The top ten priority collections list is complete and verified. Staff know which materials must be moved first in a climate or utility emergency. This list is updated annually and reviewed by leadership and collections staff.
F. Coordination and training with local responders or external experts
- Coordination with Fire and Police for access and evacuation.
- Collaboration with mechanical vendors for emergency response.
- Landscaping and stormwater experts needed for improved mitigation planning.
- Opportunities for shared training with district partners identified.
Summary of Institutional Readiness
Strengths
- Core planning documents are complete and organized.
- Priority collections list and emergency contact sheets up to date.
- Flooding and drainage vulnerabilities are known and documented.
- Staff roles are understood and rehearsed informally.
Gaps and Opportunities
- Need for updated standard operating procedures under new leadership.
- Improved drainage and roof leak mitigation needed.
- Expansion of generator planning or portable equipment for climate stabilization.
- Greater coordination with stormwater and landscape experts.
District Level Opportunities
The workshop revealed shared needs across institutions. These can become district initiatives.
Shared Opportunities
- Consistent training for emergency response scenarios.
- Shared templates for relocation triggers, communication plans, and emergency kits.
- District wide utility outage coordination with Evergy and municipal responders.
- Shared resource pool for pumps, temporary dehumidification, and protective supplies.
- Climate monitoring and event logs maintained at district scale.
Repeatable Method
The emergency planning approach developed through the NEH Climate Smart project can be adopted by any institution.
Steps
- Identify climate risks using regional data and local experience.
- Select top risks and complete proactive, reactive, and recovery planning.
- Use the six planning questions to clarify roles, triggers, protective measures, and coordination.
- Document priority collections and communication chains.
- Review and update plans annually and after major events.
This method creates usable, measurable, and consistent emergency readiness across the district.