EPISODE 35 (NOV 2024) A Once in a Lifetime...Again and Again and Again

Natural and human-made crises, disasters, emergencies, and catastrophes. Whatever the cause (climate change, poverty, disease, overpopulation, war), it's undeniable that communities and individuals are continually facing daunting problems and challenges across the globe. In the first year of this podcast in Episode 11 (Nov 2021), we discussed how everyday people are just trying to survive, the roles and responsibilities of government and public service officials in dealing with crises, and of course, how library & information staff and institutions can provide essential services and resources.

 It's 3 years later, and in the face of even more severe hurricanes, fires, wars, and more chaos globally, we again focus on this crucial topic. Three years ago, Beth Patin was our guest speaker. She was a leading "crisis informatics" expert due to her work after Hurricane Katrina and her PhD studies. Now, as a tri-host of this podcast, she leads us through an update on this topic--the current status, how we've progressed or declined in our collective ability to deal with crises, and how the library & information field can play an even more active and visible role in preparing for, during, and recovering from these disasters.