Information Roles in Disaster Management

Day 2July 19, 20121300 – 1400 CT

Robin Featherstone, MLISLiaison Librarian (Medicine)

Life Sciences Library, McGill Universityrobin.featherstone@mcgill.ca

Course materials: http://mla.mrooms.org/

Agenda

Homework from Day 1

• Read the article by Erik Auf der Helde, The Importance of Evidence-Based Disaster Planning

• Reflect on his recommended interventions (summarized for you on the handout labeled Activity 2)

• Identify a professional service you could provide

Disaster Information Specialist

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

• Possesses knowledge and skills to support

disaster management

• Does more than protect library collections and maintain library operations

Objectives

How have librarians seen their primary role?

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

• 10% - fostering community relationships and providing support

(Zach, 2010)

Planning Roles

(Zach, 2010)

Response Roles

(Zach, 2010)

Recovery Roles

(Zach, 2010)

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

(Featherstone, Lyon & Ruffin, 2008)

New Recognition of Libraries’ Roles: The Stafford Act

• Libraries are “essential community services” eligible for federal assistance “for the provision of temporary facilities”

Hospital librarians

(Donohue, 2012)

Hospital librarians

(Donohue, 2012)

Hospital librarians

How did you get involved? Invited myself onto the Emergency Management

CommitteeRequired to be involved as a department managerNew committee chairperson took over emergency

management committee and wanted library involved. Previous group had not involved library

(Donohue, 2012)

Case example

Missouri Baptist Medical Center Medical Library

… and Incident Command Center

Tabletop Exercise

• Pick one of the three tabletop exercises provided http://mla.mrooms.org/course/view.php?id=45

• The tabletop exercise simulates a disaster situation and requires you to function in the capacity expected of you in a real event (FEMA, 2012)

Preparation time

Most warning Less warning Least warning

Hurricane Tornado Earthquake

Infectious disease Active shooter Hazmat incident

Flooding Building fire Bridge collapse

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Sample Earthquake Scenario

It is 8 days after the earthquake. Following consultations with your Regional Medical Library, you designate two librarians to act as "information officers.”

• How might these librarians assist emergency managers?

• Who will cover their regular duties?• How can the two librarians support one another in

their new roles?

FINAL HOMEWORK• Pick one of the three tabletop exercises provided

http://mla.mrooms.org/course/view.php?id=45

• Answer the questions and send your completed exercise to: mlapd3@mlahq.org

• Put the subject line as your last name_DIS_Homework e.g.,) Featherstone_DIS_Homework

• Once they receive your homework, MLA will send you the course evaluation and the link to download your course certificate.

References

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 93-288 as amended), http://fema.gov/about/stafact.shtm

Donohue, A. (May 21, 2012). Emergency Preparedness and Librarians: A Match Made in Hospitals! Poster Presentation given at the Medical Library Association Conference, Seattle WA

FEMA (2012). Tabletop Exercise. Accessed April 7, 2012 from:  http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/watersecurity/tools/trainingcd/Pages/intro.html,

Featherstone, R., Boldt, R., Torabi, N. & Konrad, S. (2012). Provision of Pandemic Disease Information by Health Sciences Librarians: A Multisite Comparative Case Series. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 100(2), 104-112. Accessed May 12, 2012 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3324800/

Featherstone, R., Lyon, B. & Ruffin, A. (2008). Library roles in disaster response: an oral history project by the National Library of Medicine. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 96(4), 343-350. Accessed April 3, 2012 from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2568836/

References cont.Folb, B. (March 30, 2011). Information Needs and Practices of Disaster Response Professionals:

Findings and Implications. . [Presentation given at the Disaster Information Outreach Symposium, Bethesda, MD). Accessed April 2, 2012 from: http://videocast.nih.gov/summary.asp?Live=10102

Merchant, R.M., Elmer, S. & Lurie, N. (2011). Integrating Social Media into Emergency-Preparedness Efforts. NEJM. 365(4). 289-291.

Turoff, M. & Starr, R. (March 6, 2008). Information Seeking Behavior and Viewpoints of Emergency Preparedness and Management Professionals Concerned with Health and Medicine. [Report prepared for the National Library of Medicine]. Accessed April 2, 2012 from: http://web.njit.edu/~turoff/Papers/FinalReportNLMTuroffHiltzMarch11.htm

Walsh, L., Subbarao, I., Gebbie, K., et al. (2012). Core Competencies for Disaster Medicine and Public Health. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 6(1), 44-52.

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

Image CreditsMissouri Baptist Hospital Library photos shared with permission of Sandy Decker

Presentation Slides & Course Materialshttp://www.mlanet.org/education/dis/info_roles.html

This project is funded by the National Library of Medicine under contract HHS-N-276-2010-00782-P

Acknowledgement

Program Informationhttp://www.mlanet.org/education/dis/

QUESTIONS