At 04:18 PM 5/30/2006, JOHN MARQUETTE wrote:
>The May 25, 2006 "Morning Edition" program
on NPR said that a recent
>disaster drill in New Orleans was canceled because
nobody could figure
>out who was in charge. While libraries and librarians
are not the
>people to take over an orderly evacuation, I can't
think of a group more
>capable. We have a powerful tool at hand to manage the
movement of
>evacuees - our automation systems.
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 that leads me to wonder why someone would assume that
libraries
are more capable in producing automations systems than a
corporations
whose sole purpose is to produce automation technology.
>...
>Libraries might be able to participate in identifying
and tracking
>evacuees by managing them as we do with our circulating
items in a
>multi-branch system. An evacuee would arrive in the
SuperDome
>(Technical Services/Central Library), provide personal
information
>(patron module is included in the circulation system),
be issued a
>barcode as a bracelet or a necklace, and dispatched to a
remote branch
>via some form of public transit, mirroring our
inter-branch book
>movements. (Joe checks in, is dispatched to Houston
Central, and is
>checked back in at Houston Central when his bus, train,
or car arrives.)
Bar codes? If you want to track the location of
individuals that
bracelet or necklaces should be GPS enabled.
...
>We professionals understand logistics on this magnitude,
the technology
>is proven, and it's available immediately.
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.
While the idea is good in spirit I've seen too many email
messages
from students complaining about checking in books and then
received
late notices. Evacuee management might be a bit to much
for
circulation automation systems but I did hear a suggestion
that
perhaps libraries should take over management of
immigration.
John Fereira
jaf30 cornell.edu
Ithaca, NY
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