[Web4lib] Duplicating/overlapping resources for Katrina

[K.G. Schneider]

One of the phenomena I've noticed in Katrina is the number of
duplicated/overlapping resources, such as the plethora of people-finding
databases--so many that a separate project has emerged to create a
metasearch function for these databases (the People Finder Project). I also
read a note on a completely unrelated list where a well-meaning guy seemed
to be ready to build a temp-housing database, and he seemed unaware of the
other databases that have already been developed.  

One of the contributing factors, I've heard, is that the Red Cross was very
slow in getting its people-finder function going. But I'm wondering if
disaster preparedness doesn't mean ensuring databases are in place and
widely accessible before a disaster strikes... or that there is a standard
that allows for easy cross-searching of any disaster database, with ways to
fine-tune searching through metadata.

Since we're librarians and presumably smart about this stuff, thought I'd
let this thought emerge on web4lib...

Karen G. Schneider
kgs at bluehighways.com