Could library automation systems track evacuees?

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-bounceswebjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounceswebjunction.org] On Behalf Of Thomas
Edelblute
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 7:43 PM
To: web4libwebjunction.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-bounceswebjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounceswebjunction.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan
Rochkind
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 2:49 PM
To: web4libwebjunction.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:jaf30cornell.edu]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 2:06 PM
> To: JOHN MARQUETTE; web4libwebjunction.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
> Web4libwebjunction.org
> http://lists.we
bjunction.org/web4lib/
>


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