Webinar presentation given on July 19, 2012, as part of the Medical Library Association's Disaster Information Specialization.

1. Information Roles in Disaster
Day 2
Management
July 19, 2012
1300 – 1400 CT
Robin Featherstone, MLIS
Liaison Librarian (Medicine)
Life Sciences Library, McGill University
robin.featherstone@mcgill.ca
Course materials: http://mla.mrooms.org/

2. Agenda

3. 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

4. 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

5. Objectives

6. How have librarians seen their
primary role?
• 66% - protecting, preserving, and
providing access to collections
• 10% - fostering community relationships
and providing support
(Zach, 2010)

7. Planning Roles
(Zach, 2010)

8. Response Roles
(Zach, 2010)

9. Recovery Roles
(Zach, 2010)

10. 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)

11. New Recognition of Libraries’
Roles: The Stafford Act
• Libraries are “essential community services”
eligible for federal assistance “for the provision
of temporary facilities”

12. Hospital librarians
(Donohue, 2012)

13. Hospital librarians
(Donohue, 2012)

14. Hospital librarians
How did you get involved?
 Invited myself onto the Emergency Management
Committee
 Required to be involved as a department manager
 New committee chairperson took over emergency
management committee and wanted library involved.
Previous group had not involved library
(Donohue, 2012)

15. Case example
Missouri Baptist Medical Center Medical Library
… and Incident Command Center

20. 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)

21. 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.

22. 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?

23. 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.

24. 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/

25. 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

26. Image Credits
Missouri Baptist Hospital Library photos shared with permission of Sandy Decker
Presentation Slides & Course Materials
http://www.mlanet.org/education/dis/info_roles.html
Program Information
http://www.mlanet.org/education/dis/
Acknowledgement
This project is funded by the National Library of Medicine under contract HHS-N-276-2010-00782-P

27. QUESTIONS