When the Nation is in crisis: libraries respond

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/LM-05-2016-0043
Published date14 November 2016
Pages465-481
Date14 November 2016
AuthorBibi Alajmi
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,HR in libraries,Library strategy,Library promotion
When the Nation is in crisis:
libraries respond
Bibi Alajmi
Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the role of libraries as community institutions
by reflecting on the experience of the Ferguson Municipal Public Library (FMPL), Missouri, USA,
during the time of social unrest in the summer of 2014. The research explores the traditional and
non-traditional roles of libraries during times of social unrest while focusing on relevant areas of crisis
management preparedness and competencies necessary during crisis.
Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative approach in investigating the
research problem and uses the case study method to collect relevant data.
Findings This paper reports on the experience of the FMPL staff during this time. Their experience of
what happened, how they dealt with it, and what their expectations were after the crisis are all documented.
Originality/value Several scholars have studied how public libraries respond to disasters, yet little
is known about whether public libraries proactively engage in community-wide disaster planning, and
if so, what is the nature of those partnerships.
Keywords Public libraries, Crisis management, Crisis, Competencies, Information needs, Ferguson
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
When a person pays a visit to the library he might see nothing but the circulation
services, the information desk, or the bookshelves. Libraries have been largely
overlooked as contributors to disaster planning, response, and recovery (Featherstone
et al., 2008), yet in times of war and social unrest, libraries live their mandated mission
as community institutions. In her 1943 annual report during the Second World War,
Helen Farr of Madison Free Library stated that: Time and experience have made
clear that books have both a practical and an emotional contribution to make to citizens on
the home front. The industrial worker, the victory gardener, the expectant mother and the
17-year-old looking forward to induction into service, all find in books guidance toward a
solution of their problems. Books of humor, poetry, biography, adventure and mystery
give tired minds the relief they must have to remain equal to the strain of living in war
time. There is satisfaction in the realization that we too are an essentialindustry.
Farr understood that, as a local institution, any library is at its most effective when
setting its own course in response to its communitys unique needs and characteristics.
By that measure, libraries in times of war or social unrest are important to the
thousands of people of all ages who visit their facilities, read their books, and use their
services for a wide range of reasons.
The more the things change, the more they seem to remain the same. After all, even
though the current social unrest in America seems to be different from that experienced
during the Second World War, there are common elements. Officially or unofficially, every
library must become a war/crisis information center in which currently available are the
Library Management
Vol. 37 No. 8/9, 2016
pp. 465-481
©Emerald Group Publis hing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/LM-05-2016-0043
Received 12 May 2016
Revised 25 August 2016
Accepted 19 September 2016
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
The author most grateful to FMPL public library director and all the other library staff who
kindly contributed to this research and also to authors mentor Professor Abdus Sattar Chaudhry
and Professor Marie L. Radford for their insights and encouragements.
465
When the
Nation is in
crisis
latest facts, reports, directories, regulations, and instructions for public use (Becker, 2003).
This research aimed to shed light on the role of libraries as community institutions by
reflecting on the experience of the Ferguson Municipal Public Library (FMPL) during the
time of social unrest in the summer of 2014. The research explored the traditional and
non-traditional roles of libraries during times of social unrest. The politically and personally
divisive crisis in Ferguson was ignited by the death of a young African-American man who
was about to start college. The shock and anger over his death resulted in riots and strikes.
During this time of social unrest schools were closed, the streets were in chaos, and
the emotions of the residents were at breaking point. When the first outbreak of unrest
occurred in August 2014, the director of FMPL was in just his fifth week in the job.
It would have been easier to close the library, as many expected. Instead, the staff had
the courage and commitment to the community to keep the library open and to partner
with teachers and community agencies to provide education, information, and
emotional support to the citizenry, including its children.
This paper reports on the experience of the FMPL staff during this time. Their
experience of what happened, how they dealt with it, and what their expectations were
after the crisis are all documented. The research falls into four main areas to explore the
problem from all directions. Research questions were as follows:
RQ1. What role could libraries play in times of crisis or social instability?
RQ2. What type of information was needed from the library visitors?
RQ3. What lessons could be learned about managing crises in libraries?
RQ4. What is the role of crisis management and preparedness in delivering better
services?
RQ5. What competencies are required from library staff to maintain the promising
library functions?
2. Literature review
Disasters and crises have occurred throughout the history of libraries and information
services, and some of them have even eliminated entire organizations. From a broader
perspective, crises are defined as difficult or dangerous situations that need serious
attention.Moreover, risks and disasters have been grouped into categories (Mo hamed
Shaluf, 2007), i.e. natural disasters, man-made disasters, hybrids, and subsequ ent
disasters, etc. Despite the different definitions and categorizations, all disasters share a
common denominator in that they all affect libraries, and they can occur at any time and
under a wide variety of circumstances. Apart from extensive disasters, e.g. floods (Iske and
Lengfellner, 2015; Kaur, 2009), tornadoes (Bishop and Veil, 2013), earthquakes (Shaheen,
2008), tsunamis (Superio and Alayon, 2015; Warnasuriya, 2005), fires and wars (Becker,
2003), and civil disorders ( Johnson, 2005), libraries also face smaller incidents, such as burst
heating pipes, water leaks, rain penetration (Gerlach, 2004), small fires, theft, vandalism,
paper decay, insect raids, mold (Weaver-Meyers et al., 1998), etc. After all, the crises that
libraries suffer not only affect them as institutions, but also threaten the security of the
library as our collective memory (Aziagba and Edet, 2008; Kostagiolas et al., 2011).
Role of libraries in times of crisis
New York Public Library President Paul LeClerc once stated that Having branch and
research libraries open to the public following the horrific attacks of 11 September 2001
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