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Green icon of a document outlineDeveloping a plan outline

Crisis situations are often unpredictable and fast-moving. While you can’t anticipate every scenario, having a simple, adaptable plan structure in place will help you respond quickly and effectively—even when there’s no time to implement a full, predesigned response. Creating a basic outline in advance can save time and reduce stress by focusing on the four essential components of crisis communication.

Four key elements

  • Audience
    Identify your primary and secondary audiences. Who needs to be informed immediately, and who needs updates as the situation develops? Think about internal (staff, administration) and external (patrons, partners, media) groups.

  • Message
    Anticipate tough questions and prepare clear, consistent responses. What are the key facts to share? How will you acknowledge the situation and demonstrate accountability?

  • Delivery Method
    Choose the most appropriate tools for communicating your message—email, face-to-face conversations, website updates, press releases, or social media. Consider the urgency, audience preferences, and the platform’s visibility.

  • Source
    Determine who will speak on behalf of the library. Who owns the message, provides updates, and keeps internal and external stakeholders informed? Assign a primary spokesperson and identify any necessary backups.

Outline template

Consider one of the crisis possibilities that would be most likely to happen at your library. Use the following template to practice identifying the four critical elements of a crisis communication plan.

Audience—Who are the stakeholders that need to be communicated with? Consider primary and secondary audiences.

Message—What tough questions should we prepare for and how will we respond? What questions can we ask in return?

Delivery method—What communication tools will we use to deliver the information (face-to-face conversation, email, website, etc.)? How frequently should info be communicated?

Source—Who should own the message? Who will speak on behalf of the library and continue to keep others in the loop?
Examples

See these outline examples from a small group crisis scenario workshop: