The Framework
Building Resilient Libraries & Communities
A practical, evidence-based framework that helps libraries plan and deliver community-first disaster information services — before, during, and after natural disasters. Built from a decade of field research across the United States.
What is a framework?
A framework is a practical guide made up of key ideas and recommended actions. Libraries can adapt the guidance drawn from this research to help them plan, provide, and improve disaster-related information services in their communities. Each section is designed to support both day-to-day operations and crisis conditions.
Six evidence-based sections, built to be tailored.
A defining feature of the framework is its portability. Each section offers concrete, field-tested guidelines meant to be adapted to a library’s type, size, and local risk profile — not applied as a rigid checklist.
Community-First Disaster Information Services
Planning and delivering accurate, ethical, multilingual information that meets community needs across every phase of a disaster — and countering misinformation as part of everyday service.
- Provide disaster health information that is accurate, ethical, and culturally respectful.
- Create strategies to counter misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.
- Curate trustworthy materials from the Red Cross, CDC, NLM, and local agencies.
Library Operations Before, During & After a Disaster
Field-tested operational guidance organized by phase: preparedness plans and policies, continuity of service during closures, and recovery actions from FEMA assistance to charging stations and reopening.
- Create and regularly review a clear, comprehensive disaster plan covering all phases.
- Develop policies for curbside checkout and drive-through services during closures.
- Help community members complete and submit FEMA claims and disaster documents.
Community Engagement & Outreach
Advocacy, demographic profiling, and inclusive, community-centered programming that reaches underserved and at-risk populations before a crisis ever arrives.
- Advocate for the library’s long-term sustainability, funding, and resources.
- Designate a community liaison to bridge the library and the community.
- Co-create services with underserved and at-risk populations.
Collaborations with Public- & Private-Sector Partners
Building and sustaining the relationships with agencies, first responders, and organizations that make coordinated disaster response and recovery possible.
- Build working relationships with public agencies and officials at every level.
- Conduct a thorough environmental scan of community conditions.
- Partner with local health, safety, and emergency management professionals.
Crisis Communication
Internal and external communication protocols for before, during, and after a disaster — including multilingual messaging and partnerships with local media.
- Prepare and test crisis and risk communication messages in advance.
- Designate a multilingual communication officer or team across all phases.
- Collaborate with local newspapers and radio stations to reach the community.
Recommendations for Policy & Procedure Development
Turning lessons learned into durable institutional policy: positioning libraries as resilience hubs, building crisis leadership, and assessing performance to improve the next response.
- Position libraries as resilience hubs and disaster assistance centers.
- Invest in ongoing professional development and crisis leadership.
- Establish a clear process to evaluate performance and revise policy.
Read the full framework
A decade of research, in one working document.
Grounded in six situation-specific case studies across South Carolina, Texas, California, and Kentucky, the framework serves both as a working tool for libraries strengthening their own preparedness and as a foundation for continued research into the public value of libraries in times of crisis.
PDF · Public Libraries Edition
Building Resilient Libraries and Communities
Download (PDF)Suggested citation Tu-Keefner, F., Lyons, D., & Hobbs, A. (2026). Building Resilient Libraries and Communities: A Framework for Community-First Disaster Information Services in Libraries. Library Disaster Preparedness Project. https://preparedlibraries.org/framework/