September 26, 2023, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Climate Action Planning (Part 2): Disaster Preparedness and Community Resilience (webjunction.org)
Presented by:
- Rebekkah Smith Aldrich (MLS, LEED AP), Executive Director, Mid-Hudson Library System (NY), Co-founder/Current President, Sustainable Libraries Initiative (SLI), and author
- Keith Adams, Executive Director, New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster
- Michele Stricker, Deputy State Librarian, Library Development Bureau, New Jersey State Library
- Deborah Costa, Region 2 Community Preparedness Officer, FEMA
This panel discussion will feature practitioners with deep experience in preparing both their libraries, and their communities, for the impacts of climate change. Our panel will speak to traditional disaster preparedness, business continuity planning, community resilience work, and preparing communities for severe weather events and the increased likelihood of food supply interruptions. While libraries are not first responders, they should be connected with the emergency management community and be positioned as part of both the short-term and long-term “first restorer” network as disruptions amplified by climate change happen with more frequency.