The Stafford Act designates public libraries as essential disaster response facilities, complementing the Florida Statutes’ recognition that public librarians may be asked to act as emergency responders during adverse events. How these requirements are implemented varies widely across the state, with some models showing particular efficacy. This session will review the state of public libraries’ disaster planning, response, and recovery contributions, then explore effective collaborative planning practices to include public librarians and their facilities to community resiliency efforts. Session facilitators will actively engage participants in thinking about their own public library systems, disaster response strategy identification, and inclusive action planning and evaluation for their own localities.

Organized by Kimberly Prosser