[Web4lib] Could library automation systems track evacuees?

Wed May 31 10:59:07 EDT 2006

I volunteered for the Red Cross in Houma, LA.  When I arrived at the
local headquarters the computer equipment had been packed up and moved
quickly because of hurricane Rita.  The people and manpower were simply
not there to go beyond the basics of safety, food, and shelter.
Everything had to be set up a second time. 

But, in my experience, organizing librarians to help with the massive
information needs afterward would have been incredible.  We were swamped
trying to connect people to lost relatives and necessary resources.

I kept thinking of all the librarians back home that I could call (we
did have cell phone service) and ask to look up/hook us up with a
resource.  After the initial move into the shelters, information was
priceless. It would be a worthy effort for an organization such as ALA. 

Janet Stewart
System's Librarian
Clark Memorial Library
Shawnee State University
940 Second Street
Portsmouth, OH  45662
740-351-3197
pager: 290-1663 

"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
~Louisa May Alcott~
-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Thomas Edelblute
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 7:43 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Could library automation systems track evacuees?

I have been watching this discussion with some interest.  Here in the
City of Anaheim, the Department of Community Services is responsible for
care and shelter in any emergency where evacuation is required.  Since
the Library Division is part of that department, we have participated in
two drills, and a real evacuation due to fire over the past year.

The drill we had last month was our first drill following Red Cross
shelter training.  Community Services set up a shelter in a gymnasium
and practiced receiving evacuees using the Red Cross registration forms.
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) set up a web based form that the
information could be transferred to.  My first job was to connect the
laptop to the EOC using the Verizon EVDO cellular air-card.  But once
connected, I left to go to the Department Operations Center for Care and
Shelter, and nobody entered any information into the computer.

While we might be better prepared than some, we still have some things
to work out.  And in the event of a real emergency, I am one of the
names that can be called on as Technical Communications Operator (the
guy they expect to make all the technology work).

But there is no talk of using barcodes or RFID here.  The idea is to set
up a temporary shelter for them to spend the night (if necessary) then
get them out to family, friends or hotels as quickly as possible.  None
of our shelters are indented for long term care, per the advice we
received from the Red Cross.

Should a circulation system track evacuees?  No, we are not in the
business of long term care, so tracking is not necessary.  Should we use
web based communication to let family members know that people are safe?
Yes.

Thomas Edelblute
Anaheim Public Library

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Rochkind
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 2:49 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Could library automation systems track evacuees?

Sounds like a bad idea to me. I wouldn't assume that managing
evacuations and refugees is just like managing circulation becuase of
superficial similarities. The devil is in the details.

In fact, I'd say that kind of hubris (thinking you know more about how
to do things than you do) is what led to such poor management in the
first place! The problems with the post-Katrina management weren't
primarily _technological_, the lack of good software. Management
problems seldom are.

After all, if managing evaucations/refugees is the same as managing
libraries/circulation, would you want to put someone with Red Cross (for
example) experience in charge of your library? I wouldn't. Even LESS so,
putting a circulation manager in charge of evacuations and refugees. No
thank you.

If you can imagine writing software from scratch to do this in a day,
then what's the point of retrofiting an ILS instead?  But I think good
software would take more than this. The place to go for good software
for refugee management is the same place to go for good management
skills for refugee management---people who are experienced in refugee
management. The UNHCR or whatever. What software do they use to keep
track of things? If they do it without any special software at all, then
maybe a lack special software isn't the primarily barrier here. And
hacked ILS software wouldn't be 'special software' anyway.

Sorry, just seems like a really bad idea to me.

--Jonathan

>
> (note: I responded directly to John F. without snips; this version
> snips)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Fereira [mailto:jaf30 at cornell.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 2:06 PM
> To: JOHN MARQUETTE; web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Could library automation systems track
evacuees?
>
>>Although I have worked in a library for the past 10 years perhaps it's

>>the previous 20 years working with technologies in the corporate world
>
> <snip>
>
> I was in IT too before I made my jump.  I can't see an Oracle system 
> being set up overnight the way I could see a circ module go, even if 
> both were extensively pre-tested.  We know the FBI system can't do it,

> every police department in the US seems to have a different 
> crime/criminal management system...and I don't know what the Red Cross

> does except to keep paper records and affix toe tags.
>
>>Bar codes?   If you want to track the location of individuals that
>>bracelet or necklaces should be GPS enabled.
>
> GPS:  Heck, if I wanted to do it right I'd put RFID chips on them.
> Berkeley Public Library has put them in their collection (!) and 
> managed to convince city residents that their rights weren't violated.

> I didn't mention that (nor would I do it) because of the flame war it 
> would begin.  I put my asbestos britches on when I clicked "send" on 
> that message anyway...
>
>>An understanding of Inventory tracking logistics is hardly exclusive 
>>to library "professionals".  In fact, most commercial technology in 
>>use in libraries is more likely create by computer science
> professionals.
>
> UPS could step up to the plate as a public gesture, as could FedEx or 
> any of the courier services.  Their IT systems are sufficiently 
> decentralized that they could work, plus they all have redundant 
> communications facilities (fiber, satellite, etc.).  I haven't heard 
> anything from them though.
>
> If NYPL can use Dynix Horizon for its ILS, it should work to track 
> people fleeing the Gulf Coast.  I would focus my concerns on 
> transmission capacity and being able to work offline.
>
>>While the idea is good in spirit I've seen too many email messages 
>>from students complaining about checking in books and then received
>
> <snip>
>
> Re: immigration - yeah, at least we wouldn't lose visa holders and we 
> have the Unique Collection Agency to gently persuade people to pay up 
> (or show up).
>
> I would rather be like a book than like a parcel.  I would like to 
> know that we'll be able to track people in the next Katrina.  
> Hurricane season starts Thursday.
>
> John Marquette
>
> I speak for myself, not my employer.
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>

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