WebJunction Course Catalog

Format: Webinar, original date May 18, 2023
Hosted by: WebJunction
Length: 1 hour 30 minutes

Creating a safe environment for the public, staff, and collections is a top concern for libraries. As a public space, this sometimes means that library staff are faced with behavior or events that may feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or illegal. Although we can’t predict or control every situation, we can be prepared to effectively respond to a range of scenarios. This session presents a holistic approach for creating safe environments through strong community relationships, inclusive policies, and empowered staff. Using a trauma-informed, human-centered lens, we explore strategies to create a library where staff possess the skills, and feel prepared, to manage what comes through the doors.

Presented by: Melissa Munn

Developed by: WebJunction, in collaboration with Legal Services Corporation
Estimated Time to Complete: 6 hours

Overview

Course 2 covers the Response and early Recovery phases of the Emergency Management Cycle and continues the development of the disaster response and recovery binder (DRR binder) begun in Course 1. The first part of this course addresses trauma-informed care in the aftermath of disaster. The second part of the course covers the primary funding sources for disaster recovery, including insurance and government assistance, with their attendant legal complications. When disaster strikes a region, everyone feels the traumatic impact to varying degrees. It’s critical to understand how to respond with sensitivity to the turmoil a patron is experiencing (trauma response) before diving into connecting patrons with disaster assistance.

If the disaster is federally declared, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) can provide government-funded individual assistance for a variety of crisis needs. Library staff can benefit from knowing basic information about the application and appeals processes, timelines, and dependencies of these assistance programs to be able to guide patrons to appropriate resources and adjust their expectations. Legal complications often arise in these processes, and library staff will benefit from having their list of legal referrals as part of the reference collection assembled in Course 1.

Learning Objectives

• Apply a trauma-informed approach in response to disaster survivors. 
• Explain the general processes and dependencies of the primary funding sources for individual disaster assistance in a major natural disaster: insurance, FEMA, and SBA.  
• Guide patrons to information and resources that will help them navigate disaster assistance. 
• Manage patron expectations about how disaster assistance can help with recovery. 
• Recognize common issues associated with disaster relief (e.g., landlord-tenant problems, contractor scams, and price gouging) and refer patrons to legal assistance.