The Importance of Disaster Planning for the Small Public Library

Green, Sonya L.; Teper, Thomas H.

doi:10.1300/j118v25n03_05

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…During times of emergency or disaster, meanwhile, libraries can make crucial interventions in and contributions to assistance efforts. There is considerable literature on these interventions and contributions (Beales, 2003; Bishop and Veil, 2013; Chancellor, 2017, 2019; Dickerson, 2007; Featherstone, 2012; Featherstone et al , 2008; Featherstone et al , 2012; Fleischer and Heppner, 2009; Green and Teper, 2008; Han, 2019; Jaeger et al , 2006; Kosciejew, 2019; Liu et al , 2017; Prestamo, 2018; Pilston, 2004; Rattan, 2013; Robertson, 2014; Stewart, 2014; Wong and Green, 2007; Young, 2018; Zach, 2011). Libraries can play multiple roles in emergency or disaster situations, including as “institutional supporters, collection managers, information disseminators, internal planners, community supporters, government partners, educators and trainers and information community builders” (Featherstone et al , 2008).…”

Section: Libraries’ Interventions In Public Health Emergencies and Disastersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The coronavirus pandemic, libraries and information: a thematic analysis of initial international responses to COVID-19

Kosciejew

2020

GKMC

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Purpose This study aims to present and discuss the international library and information community’s initial responses to the coronavirus pandemic. It chronicles official statements from various library and information associations as they were released in real-time, thereby providing a contemporary and historical snapshot of the early stages of this global health crisis. The aim is to both historically and thematically contextualize these initial responses to help establish a foundation upon which to anchor, build, extend and analyze approaches to the pandemic as it unfolded (and indeed as it continues to unfold at the time of this writing in June 2020). Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon a qualitative documentary analysis of statements on COVID-19 released by various international library and information associations, this study provides a thematic analysis of these contemporary policies. Specifically, this thematic analysis was carried out to identify and illuminate major themes appearing within the statements. Further, a comparative thematic analysis was then undertaken to compare the themes across all statements to discover and determine convergences or divergences in content and coverage. Findings The formal statements released by these organizations feature and share many similar themes in their initial responses to COVID-19, including support for/solidarity with libraries; information provision; maintaining services; digital migration of services; workplace arrangements/concerns; contextual contingencies of libraries (diversity of kinds, circumstances and challenges); health concerns and proper/good hygiene; countering dis/misinformation; external collaborations with public health agencies; and partnerships with industry including publishers. Research limitations/implications Although this study’s purview is admittedly limited in size and scope – involving six, albeit major, library and information associations from mainly English speaking countries – it can be used as a foundation for further studies into how libraries and information centres in other English and non-English speaking countries responded to the coronavirus pandemic. Practical implications This study can help inform current, alternative, contingency or other future library responses geared towards or tailored for the coronavirus or other health-related crises. It can also be used as a baseline to track the trajectory of library responses and actions as they unfolded throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Social implications By providing the start of an account and analysis of the international library and information science (LIS) community’s initial responses, this study also contributes to the broader (ongoing) conversation about the coronavirus pandemic and intervenes in emerging historical examinations of this crisis. This study could be of interest to LIS scholars and practitioners, in addition to public health researchers, public policymakers, cultural studies academics and historians, interested in how different and intersectional efforts – in this case, the international LIS community – contributed and can contribute to this pandemic and other similar or parallel crises. Originality/value The international library and information community’s initial responses to this global health crisis are contextualized, thereby serving as a foundation upon which to anchor, build and extend other research on responses to the pandemic as it unfolded. Drawing upon a qualitative documentary analysis of these statements, this study presents and discusses the international library community’s initial responses to the coronavirus pandemic. It chronicles these statements as they were released in real-time, thereby providing a contemporary and historical snapshot of the early stages of this crisis. The aim is to both historically and thematically contextualize the international library and information community’s initial responses to help establish a foundation upon which to anchor, build, extend and update the international library community’s responses to the pandemic as it unfolded (and indeed as it continues to unfold at the time of this writing in June 2020). This foundation, it is hoped, will help illuminate their respective positions, circumstances, convergences, divergences and areas of possible (future) cooperation, coordination and collaboration.

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Section: Libraries’ Interventions In Public Health Emergencies and Disastersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The coronavirus pandemic, libraries and information: a thematic analysis of initial international responses to COVID-19

Kosciejew

2020

GKMC

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“…The public library can also be used as a place for practical training in crisis prevention, disaster prevention and training on measures to reduce fear and anxiety in high-risk areas that have a history of damaging natural disasters. If so has been mentioned in researches by Green and Teper (2006) and Stewart (2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…On the other hand, a couple of researches such as Green and Teper (2006); Jaeger et al (2007); Brobst et al (2011); Issa et al (2012) and Young (2018) focus on the ways public libraries participate in the recovery of the communities as well the methods that libraries can use to help develop disaster plans. According to their results, library professionals and researchers need to consider the roles that libraries were able to fill in their communities in times of genuine crisis, what they mean for the education of future librarians, training of current librarians, advocacy for library funding, coordination with other government agencies, relationships with individual patrons and relationships with entire communities.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public libraries in crisis time: empirigraphy of Iranian public libraries in the 2019 Iran massive flood

Pazooki

Saboori

2020

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PurposeOne of the largest floods in Iran happened in Nowruz in 2019, during which torrents of rain, flooding of rivers, landslides and the destruction of dams caused floods and led to financial losses and loss of life in 25 provinces of Iran. During and after the flood, 39 public libraries were closed, three libraries were evacuated and one was completely destroyed.Design/methodology/approachDespite the damage that occurred in the libraries, the preventive measures had been taken by many of them to reduce the whole damage. In addition, after the flood, responsible organizations including Iran Public Libraries Institution, the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults and the Cultural and Art Organization of Municipality and the Mosques and Cultural Center, as well as other relief and social teams, and even people performed activities to reduce the negative impacts caused by the flood.FindingsThis article reviews these activities and their effectiveness. In the end, “the development of a plan for public libraries in natural and social crises” is proposed and the reasons for its necessity are discussed.Originality/valueThis article reviews these activities and their effectiveness. In the end, “the development of a plan for public libraries in natural and social crises” is proposed and the reasons for its necessity are discussed.

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“…The possibility that one part of the collection -representing many lives' work made tangible in bound form -could be ranked a higher priority than others is unbearable. (Green & Teper, 2006) While libraries and archives being faced with the kind of pressure of making decisions about materials that might have been accumulated over the lifetimes of multiple specialist librarians is indeed a stressful, and even heartbreaking, scenario, these decisions need to be made, and they need to be made before disaster happens.…”

Section: Smith Continuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Handbook of Research on Disaster Management and Contingency Planning in Modern Libraries

Decker¹,

Townes²

2016

Advances in Library and Information Science

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The Importance of Disaster Planning for the Small Public Library

Cited by 15 publications

References 2 publications

The coronavirus pandemic, libraries and information: a thematic analysis of initial international responses to COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic, libraries and information: a thematic analysis of initial international responses to COVID-19

Public libraries in crisis time: empirigraphy of Iranian public libraries in the 2019 Iran massive flood

Handbook of Research on Disaster Management and Contingency Planning in Modern Libraries

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