Abstract

This empirical study details a community-based design and assessment process for resiliency hubs located in and operated through rural public libraries. The research questions included: 1) Who were the key beneficiaries and what did they need? 2) What was the process of designing a resiliency hub? 3) What did library resiliency hubs provide and how can they be sustained? This resiliency hub study will detail co-production of solutions and involves an inclusive collaboration among researchers, librarians, and community members to address the effects of cascading impacts of natural disasters. Our novel co-design process reflects an in-depth understanding of the complex interactions among libraries, residents, governments, and other agencies by collecting sociotechnical hurricane-related data for Calhoun County, Florida, USA, a region still devastated by Hurricane Michael (2018) and hard-hit by Covid-19. Data collection and analysis incorporated multiple communities in a framework and process to co-design resiliency hubs sited in public libraries. This research leveraged a unique opportunity to establish a new paradigm for developing disaster resiliency in rural settings. The knowledge and insight gained from the resiliency hub design process will not only improve understanding of emergency response operations but also will contribute to the development of new disaster-related policies and plans for public libraries, with a broader application to rural communities in many settings.

Presenters

Marcia Mardis
Professor and Associate Dean for Research, College of Communication and Information, Florida State University, Florida, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Organizational Intangibles and Tangible Value

KEYWORDS

Public libraries, Natural disasters, Communities, Resilience, Rural, Coastal, Inland

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