Fires, Floods, and COVID: Libraries at Work

Has your library and community experienced a disaster? Did you feel like you did not have adequate tools to effectively respond to the disaster? Attendees will leave this session with the best practices gathered from more than 60 librarians who responded to hurricanes, explosions, freezes, fires, flooding, and the COVID-19 pandemic. This session identifies the best practices for library resiliency based on interview data, and emphasize how to advocate for your library’s inclusion in local disaster plans. This session will help librarians walk away with practices to implement at their libraries to foster greater resiliency in the face of disasters. This session will cover best practices for (1) preparing for anticipated and unanticipated disasters; (2) coping during a disaster; and (3) responding after a disaster for both the library and the community. These best practices will help to improve the resiliency of their library in the face of disasters and aid in their community’s resiliency. The session will conclude with tips for librarians to foster effective relationships with their local government for greater agency and inclusion in local disaster mitigation and planning. This research was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and was made possible by the librarians we interviewed in Texas and Florida.