Importance of Libraries During Disasters

Ellen Perlman, a columnist for Governing magazine, recently wrote an article about the important role public libraries play during emergencies.

"[People] in coastal states who lost their homes to the wind and water of hurricanes Katrina and Rita flocked to public computers housed in libraries," Perlman wrote.  "They filed insurance claims, connected with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, contacted family members and found out via the Internet what was happening in the communities they had to flee."

Sharman Smith, executive director of the Mississippi Library Commission and former State Library of Iowa, was quoted as saying, "For most people in the community, a public library represents a safe place."

Perlman goes on to say that not only are library buildings solid and well constructed, 70 percent of library computer users depend on them as their primary access to the electronic world.

The article describes in more detail how librarians have become "literally emergency responders," and libraries information centers and referral centers.  She notes, however, that staff are rarely trained for these roles and their budgets continue to be slashed.  Librarians are taking on these additional roles at their own expense.

Click here for the entire article (PDF).