Means of Assessment

In order to achieve a comprehensive picture of the current status of preparedness efforts as well as the interests and needs of the Massachusetts libraries, I used multiple methods, including research and a survey.

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Literature Review

Multiple books, guides, gray literature, and studies about libraries and emergency preparedness, response, and resiliency helped me focus my project management tasks. It also provided me an understanding of current and best practices of various training and outreach methods. 

Training Observations

Direct observation of training conducted by library systems enhanced my understanding of training delivery and receipt. Of particular note was a series of workshops conducted by the State Library of New Jersey called the Librarian's Disaster Planning and Community Resiliency Workshop Series.

Interviews

Interviews and meetings with individuals involved in emergency preparedness in libraries and cultural institutions provided narrative accounts of initiatives and recommendations. These individuals represented organizations such as the Massachusetts Library System and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Survey

Research and interviews helped me develop my survey. My supervisors and the NN/LM National Evaluation Office reviewed this survey prior to its distribution to the 350 + member libraries of the Massachusetts Library System. Survey results are shown below.

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Community Assessment Report

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Massachusetts Library Networks

Massachusetts has nine library networks, connecting approximately 320 public libraries, 43 academic libraries, and a group of school and special libraries. These networks share resources internally and across networks. This provides their patrons an exceptional amount of resources and materials, including books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and digital books and downloadable audio and video.

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