Public Libraries as Post-Crisis Information Hubs

Like the crisis responses to hurricanes, after a tornadic event public libraries play emergency roles both in the short and long term. Community members rely on public libraries for Internet access to request aid, to help find missing family and friends, to file Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and insurance claims, and, in general, to begin rebuilding their lives. This article reports the quality of services and activities public libraries performed in response and recovery in twelve different communities impacted by tornadoes. The discussion includes an evaluation of the quality of the responses and some recommendations to improve preparedness and response.