September is National Preparedness Month.  Though the month is nearly over, preparedness is always relevant.   How we share and create preparedness information is yet another example of real-world information literacy.

The American Red Cross, for example,  has a site on disaster safety for people with special needs.  The American Red Cross has experience dealing with disasters, so we recognize this group as an authority on the subject.  The site itself (American Red Cross, 2018) includes a self-assessment.  This self-assessment recognizes that each disabled person is an authority on their own specific needs.  Though we don’t know how much input people with disabilities had in its creation, the tool opens up emergency planning conversations.

This dynamic highlights two information literacy  frames: Authority is Constructed and Contextual, and  Scholarship as Conversation (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2016).  I’ll close with a salute to the American Red Cross, other disaster relief agencies, and first responders.

References

American Red Cross. (2018).  Disaster safety for people with disabilities: Create an emergency plan that addresses your needs. Retrieved from  https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/disaster-safety-for-people-with-disabilities.html

Association of College & Research Libraries. (2016). Framework for information literacy for higher education. Retrieved from ACRL website: http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework

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