[Web4lib] Duplicating/overlapping resources for Katrina

[Patricia F Anderson]

Hi, John,

Given that the original context of this discussion was Katrina, the 
context of my response was intentionally US-centric. I agree completely 
that ideally worldwide access to core resources is desirable. I am also 
well aware of HINARI. HINARI is a truly wonderful concept for developing 
countries, as it is intended to be. You are also quite right that in 
developing countries, stable network connections and access are huge 
issues. This is a regular topic of conversation on the Medical Webmasters 
List. While HINARI may serve as a model of part of on solution to meet 
information resource needs in a disaster, the HINARI project itself would 
not serve this purpose as it currently stands.

I am thinking more along the lines of:

US Army: Borden Institute: Textbooks of Military Medicine:
<http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/pubs.html>

with the critical proviso of widely distributing print duplicates, for 
ready accessibility from anywhere under a wide variety of circumstances. I 
was also thinking that it might be a good idea to have the titles and 
topics included selected not just by and for military use, but for 
civilian clinicians and first-responders as well, aniticipating that the 
information needs in a disaster might be different from those in military 
responder situations.

As a case study or example, one of the docs in a NOLA shelter asked 
specifically for "Merck Manual and any of the Washington Manuals for 
Medicine, Pediatrics or Surgery." 
<http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0509A&L=MEDLIB-L&P=R1590&I=-3>

Merck has made all their books available free online, which was not a help 
in the shelters. This doc needed a print copy ready to hand. The 
Washington Manuals are from one of the HINARI publishers (Lippincott+), 
but are not one of the HINARI titles available.

What I am trying to recommend is that librarians collaborate to select or 
recommend a core collection for disaster situations, and to recommend ways 
to distribute widely this resource. I would think that likely first 
responders should receive some sort of compact document reader with its 
own longterm power source, and then print copies deposited with all public 
libraries (just for starters). Naturally, if this was developed, it would 
then be a logical next step to share. :-)

Thinking aloud.

-- Patricia Anderson, pfa at umich.edu
<http://www.mlaguidetohealth.org/>

On Wed, 7 Sep 2005, John Fereira wrote:

>>  - Doctors in shelters may not have access to online resources. There needs 
>> to be identified a core set of print reference materials that medical and 
>> public libraries keep print duplicates of to distribute at times like 
>> these. The Govt could develop a set of core information resources to keep 
>> in print, and ensure that a copy is in every library in the country as 
>> print and CD, as well as online..
>
> Which Govt should that be?  Doctors treating people in shelters in Indonesia 
> after the tsunami had the same needs for online resources as those treating 
> people in shelters as a result of a hurricane that happened to hit U.S. soil. 
> Fortunately, someone *has* developed a list of core resources.  The World 
> Health Organization maintains a site called Hinari (Health Internetwork 
> Access to Research Initiative).
[snip]