The Community Eye of the Hurricane: Gulf Coast Public Libraries’ Experiences and

Needs Related to Hurricane Response

Karen Vargas, Michelle Malizia and Cindy Olney

NN/LM South Central RegionSCC/MLA

October 19, 2010

The public views libraries as “a first choice, first refuge, and last resort in a range of

emergency and e-government circumstances1” – Bertot et al.

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Hurricanes are the most common disaster to hit the South Central Region

NN/LM SCR explored ways to support public libraries’ hurricane response

through a needs assessment

©Istockphoto. All rights reserved

From this needs assessment, the NN/LM SCR developed a plan for working with

public libraries

©Istockphoto. All rights reserved

Needs Assessment

Methods

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The needs assessment was conducted with public librarians

from Texas and Louisiana

Phase one involved phone interviews with public librarians

Phase 2 involved advisory group meetings in Texas and Louisiana

Findings

Health care providers and emergency responders need to know the resources

public libraries provide

Shelter ● Information ● Meeting Space ●Internet Access ● Expert Assistance

Public librarians should know more about health professionals

and emergency responders

“Is my house underwater?”

“Where can I fill my prescription?”

“Is the water safe?”

“How do I complete this FEMA form?”?

“¿Habla usted español?”

“Where is the rest of my family?”

Libraries are the information centers for displaced victims

“Can I go home?”©Istockphoto. All rights reserved

Information needs • Local services• First aid• Environmental hazards• Mold control• Mental health

Cell phone and Internet connectivity was not reliable

It was a challenge for library staff to protect themselves

emotionally

The NN/LM SCRAction Plan

©Istockphoto. All rights reserved

Promote public libraries to emergency responder communities

Public librariesrock during

emergencies!Pass it on!

Provide opportunities for public libraries to network with emergency responders

Offer a tutorial called Mental

Health for Librarians During a Disaster

Offer NN/LM emergency preparedness training and

information through the State Libraries

Offer a Disaster Preparedness Award

Develop a buddy system to help public libraries with users’ health information

needs during hurricanes

1Bertot JC, Jaeger PT, Langa LA, and McClure CR. Public access computing and Internet access in public libraries: The role of public libraries in e-government and emergency situations. First Monday [Internet]. 2006 Sep 4 [cited 2010 May 27];11(9):[about 18p.]. Available from:

http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1392/1310

Reference

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, under Contract No. N01-LM-6-3505 with the Houston Academy of Medicine—Texas Medical Center Library.