University of Maryland, College Park

The College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland and the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama will work collaboratively with libraries in Maryland and Alabama to create a model to strengthen public libraries’ capacity to work effectively with government agencies, particularly in times of disaster or crisis. During the planning process, the team will conduct preliminary research regarding the libraries’ existing resources, identify communities’ assets and needs, and create an initial model to strengthen the libraries’ potential for expanding and enhancing the public’s access to vital information resources. Public libraries in Maryland and Alabama were chosen as partners because they can serve as exemplars of the range of different types and sizes of public libraries and they exist within a variety of governance structures and relationships with their state and local communities.