[Web4lib] Duplicating/overlapping resources for Katrina

[cpikas.14607360 at bloglines.com]

When I was a contractor for a federal agency, they developed an emergency
plan that included scientific reference *books*.  They bought special copies
and keep them at the site they will be evacuating to.

Christina Pikas

--- Patricia F Anderson <pfa at umich.edu wrote:
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/>