INTRODUCTION

This is a pre-release copy of the NCLIS p

on its Trust and Terror initiative. The narrecorded and the final presentation will inaudio track that is synchronized with the 

the narrative, print or view the presentatio“Notes Pages” setting.

Address comments or questions to info@
TRUST

TER

New Demands forCrisis InformationDissemination and Managem
U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information May, 2002

A Proposal to Expan

the Role of U.S. Libra

in Crisis Information 

Dissemination and Manag
people must have inform

In a crisis,
In a crisis,

lack of information ca

dangerous and terrif
3⁄4 Official briefings.

Crises create information ov

3⁄4 Around-the-clock news cove3⁄4 Media presentations and ma

articles.
3⁄4 News analyses from varying 

perspectives with different conclusions.

Crises create information ov

3⁄4 Misinformation, 

whether accidental or deliberate.

3⁄4 Gossip.
Crisis information must...

3⁄4 Come from trusted and reli

sources.

3⁄4 Be usefully organized and 

independently verified.
3⁄4 Communicate a sense of o

control and continuity.

Crisis information must...
3⁄4 Direct people to resources 

to deal with the aftermath o

crisis.

Crisis information must...
3⁄4 Be available where and wh

people need it , both during 

after the crisis.

Crisis information must...
3⁄4 Have global reach and loca

presence.

3⁄4 Serve people who have diff

ethnic backgrounds and sp

many different languages.

Crisis information must...
3⁄4 Be given context.

3⁄4 Be distributed in 

multiple formats: in 

person, broadcast media, Internet, print.

Crisis information must...
Crisis information must...

3⁄4 Foster understanding, a se

community, and hope.
In light of recent even

United States must mo

comprehensive syste

effective crisis inform

dissemination an

management.
A new national crisis info

infrastructure could poten

billions of dollars and take 

create, but it does not ne
The nation’s more t

16,000 public libraries a

form an extensive netw

resources that can 

empowered to fill this 
This network exists both virtua

physically. Libraries are on the 

and in the neighborhood.
After September 11th, 2002, New York, Virginia, and Pennand across the nation

—mount

efforts to answer important qu

An example from recent h
“Where do I go to 

“What roads are closed?”

“How can I volunt

“How do I find out who is alive and who is dead?”
“Are the subways still running?”

“I need to know more Islam.”

“What do I tell my 

“How do I find out if I’ve been exposed to anthrax?” 
Libraries responded quickly aneffectively by:

3⁄4 Building organized, accessi

databases of information.

3⁄4 Providing internet access

and e-mail for those who 

needed it.
Libraries responded by:

3⁄4 Creating collections of resou

related to terrorism, understAl-Qaida, and talking to childabout trauma.
Libraries responded by:

3⁄4 Providing a familiar, neutral 

place where people could c

together to learn and talk abhad happened.
The U.S. network 

public libraries

is already a tremend

national resource

for crisis informatio

dissemination an

management.
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Are known as trusted and 

places to find information.
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Know how to usefully organ

verify information.
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Can make information ava

where and when people ne

both during and after the c
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Have global reach and loca
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Communicate a sense of o

of a government and comm

control and continuing to se

people.
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Have resources to help peop

the aftermath of a crisis.
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Can provide context—geogr

historical, political, scientificcrises.
Public Libraries...3⁄4 Provide information in mult

formats: in person, through 

audio recordings, from the and in print.
Public Libraries

3⁄4 Serve people who have diffe

ethnic backgrounds and spe

different languages.
Public Libraries...

3⁄4 Foster understanding throu

dialogue and intellectual ex
Public Libraries...3⁄4 Nurture a sense of commun
Public Libraries...3⁄4 Foster hope.
Federal, state and 

authorities must reco

and empower libra

for crisis informati

dissemination an

management.
3⁄4 Government agencies must 

distribute essential, up-to-d

information to public librarie

3⁄4 Funding from emergency so

must be allocated for librarieremain open for extended h

during crises—even 24 hou7-days a week, when neces

What is needed:
What is needed:

3⁄4 Disaster preparedness plann

include libraries.

3⁄4 A nationwide phone number 

be created for crisis informacomparable to the “911” phonumber for emergency resp
What is needed:

3⁄4 Print and broadcast media s

produce and run public serv

announcements that direct 

libraries for crisis informatiothat publicize the nationwidnumber, when one is establ


U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information ScienceTelephone: 202-606-9200; Fax: 202-606-9203E-Mail: info@nclis.gov; Website: www.nclis.gov1110 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 820Washington, DC 20005-3552