Information Needs in Times of Crisis

Robin M Featherstone, MLISResearch Librarian, Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence

@rmfeatherstoneSlides: http://www.slideshare.net/featherr

2014

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Disasters & Libraries• Historical focus on recovery of

materials

• Present interest in continuity of

operations planning

• Increasing involvement in

outreach by specialists

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Old book bindings at the Merton College Library by Tom Murphy VII CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

New Orleans, LA, September 5, 2008 – Evacuees wait in short links to board buses back toward their parishes by Jacinta Quesada (This image is from the FEMA Photo Library.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

vs.

Agenda

Disaster Management

Disaster Identification Activity

Information Needs by Disaster Management Professionals

Roles for Librarians

Outreach Discussion/Reflection

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Events, Emergencies, Disasters

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By kaffeeeinstein from Berlin, Germany (Bahnhof Amstetten (Württemberg)) CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How events become disasters

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Train derails Train car explodes

- Fire threatens community

- Smoke makes people sick

- Transported liquid contaminates water

supply

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Disaster: a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses which exceed the ability of affected society to cope using only its own resources.

Disaster definition from: http://www.wadem.org/guidelines/glossary.pdf2009 Viareggio train eplosion 01.jpg by rabendeviaregia (IMG_3197 Uploaded by Diaa_abdelmoneim) CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Disaster Identification Activity

What geographic location did you select?

What three hazards did you identify for this location?

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Disaster Management Phases

BeforetheEvent DuringtheEvent

A ertheEvent

DisasterManagementPhases

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Disaster Workforce

Local security personnel, police, peace officers

Fire departments

Public works, urban planners, engineers

Regional & federal government employees

Emergency medical personnel : paramedics / first responders

Emergency departments

Volunteers / Community organizations

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Patterns of information behaviour

Search influenced by training

Revisiting trusted sites

Collecting observable data

Access must be mobile

Use supports decision-making

Disaster management phase determines need

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Identified information needs

Lessons-learned documents (case studies) from peer-organizations

Operations, procedures, manuals, training materials

Legal documents

Funding opportunities

Potential local hazards

Emerging hazards

Vulnerable populations

Current conditions, surveillance documents

News

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Identify the disaster management phase: Planning, Response or Recovery?

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Lessons-learned documents (case studies) from peer-organizations

Operations, procedures, manuals, training materials

Legal documents

Funding opportunities

Potential local hazards

Emerging hazards

Vulnerable populations

Current conditions, surveillance documents

News

Key points

Information is used by professionals during all disaster management phases

Compiled during planning phase

Used for decision-making during response and recovery

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How have librarians seen their primary role?

66% - protecting, preserving, and providing access to collections

10% - fostering community relationships and providing support

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Zach, L. (March 30, 2011). Librarians’ Perceptions of Roles in Disaster Activities. [Presentation given at the Disaster Information Outreach Symposium, Bethesda, MD). Accessed April 2, 2012 from: http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=10102

Library support for disaster management: 1836-2006

1836 –

Disaster literature collection management by National Library of Medicine (NLM)

1970s & 1980s

Emergency services-related special libraries• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Library

• George F. Mand Library & Learning Center for the Fire Department of New York

• Illinois Fire Service Institute Library

• National Fire Protection Association Charles S. Morgan Technical Library

• National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Library

• National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Library

• Natural Hazards Center Library

2001 – 2006

Public libraries “answering the call”

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Libraries AS shelters

“The library and the librarian need to be part of any community-wide disaster response plan.

If the branch is above water, then it will become an emergency shelter anyways.”

- Sandy Farmer, Manager of the Central Library Children’s Room at the Houston Public Library, talks about how Hurricane Katrina affected the public library in August 2005

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Libraries IN shelters

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Children’s Library corner set up at Disaster Recovery Centerhttp://atyourlibrary.org/libraries/librarians-respond-emergencies

What have been the roles of librarians?

1. Institutional supporters

2. Collection managers

3. Information disseminators

4. Internal planners

5. Community supporters

6. Government partners

7. Educators and trainers

8. Information community builders

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Case Example

Missouri Baptist Medical Center Medical Library, Incident Command Center

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Library as Incident Command Center

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Library as Incident Command Center

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Sample Information Services

Provide evidence-informed instruction

Participate in simulation training by first responders/receivers

Monitor health agencies, international and local news sources

Maintain telecommunications networks in EOCs

Assist in data recovery/archiving

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Disaster Information Specialists today

Provide disaster-related library or information services as part of their ongoing job functions

Possesses knowledge and skills to support disaster management

Do more than protect library collections and maintain library operations

Complete accredited disaster information specialization courses

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Earthquake Scenario - Recovery

You work for a hospital library and it is seven days after an earthquake (8.5 magnitude). All utilities have been restored and library cleanup efforts are underway. All staff are accounted for; aside from minor injuries, everyone is unharmed. Local schools are closed until further notice and one library assistant and one librarian are staying home to look after their children.

Local residents and volunteers from outside the area are converging on the hospital campus and the surrounding area. They have come to the disaster zone to assist with cleanup and rebuilding.

The triage center is operating out of the hospital parking lot. Healthcare personnel arrive from neighboring communities, and even from other provinces, to assist.

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Earthquake Scenario - Questions

1. What could be information needs of these volunteers?

2. What are some services you or the library could offer?

3. What would be the implications for usual library operations of offering these services?

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For further reading…

Librarians and Libraries Respond to Disasters: Bibliography on Library Roles in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: http://disaster.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/bibliographydisaster.html

Disasters and Medical Libraries Annotated Bibliography: http://libraryschool.libguidescms.com/content.php?pid=397944&sid=3349807

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