Emergency knowledge management and social media technologies: A case study of the 2010 Haitian earthquake

The US response to the 2010 Haiti Earthquake was a large effort coordinated by three major agencies that worked in tandem with the Government of Haiti, the United Nations, and many countries from around the globe. Managing this response effort was a complex undertaking that relied extensively on knowledge management systems (KMS). For the first time, however, US government agencies employed social media technologies such as wikis and collaborative workspaces as the main knowledge sharing mechanisms. In this research we present a case study developed through action research of how these social media technologies were used, what influences they made on knowledge sharing, reuse, and decision-making, and how knowledge was effectively (and at times ineffectively) maintained in these systems. First-hand knowledge of the response is used, offering strategies for future deployment of social media and important research questions that remain regarding social media as knowledge management systems, particularly for disaster and emergency management.     

河南省水旱灾害生态风险综合评价

水旱灾害是河南省发生频率最高、危害和损失最大的自然灾害。在USEPA生态风险评价框架和国内风险评价研究的基础上,以水旱两种自然灾害为风险源,6种景观生态系统为风险受体,利用AHP法和GIS技术,通过构建河南省水旱灾害生态风险综合评价模型,计算每个风险小区内的综合生态风险值,最后获得5个级别的综合评价图。结果表明:在行政区划范围内,高风险区占6.64%,主要位于漯河市、许昌市和郑州市的大部分地区;低风险区占19.91%,主要分布在三门峡市、南阳市的西北地区、信阳市的南部地区、济源市的北部地区和洛阳市的西南地区。作为面向新世纪的现代防灾减灾非工程措施,本文对水旱灾害生态风险的综合评价研究可为灾害风险管理和防灾减灾决策提供参考依据。     

试析20世纪40年代初河南灾荒的成因

20世纪40年代初,河南爆发了震惊中外的大灾荒,旱、蝗、泛、疫多种灾害接连发生,历时两三年,遍及全省,致使200万-300万人死亡,是中国近代灾荒史上最严重的灾荒之一。造成此次灾荒的成因有自然原因、日寇的侵略、国民政府的腐败等几个方面,而日寇的破坏、掠夺则是其中的重要原因。     

黄河三角洲主要自然灾害类型与分布特征

基于黄河三角洲主要自然灾害现状调查,探讨了该区主要自然灾害的类型、致灾环境、分布特征及其成灾机制.黄河三角洲特殊的地理环境孕育了特有的自然灾害,其类型多样,存在复杂的相互影响机制,提出了相应的防灾减灾措施.     

新时期电视媒体对重大灾难事件报道的嬗变

2002年以来,我国电视媒体对重大灾难事件的报道从报道理念和方式上都较之以往有了很大的变化,开始从"人本位"向"事本位"转变,在报道中逐渐注意以公民化视角来关注灾难事件。从新闻媒介发展的角度来看,这是一次新的传播变革,可以算作中国新闻信息公开化的一次质的飞跃。     

档案部门自然灾害管理机制研究

各种自然灾害频繁发生,严重威胁着档案建筑及档案的安全,加强自然灾害的防范与应对成为档案部门的使命所在。自然灾害管理机制是档案部门有效应对各种自然灾害的关键,档案部门应着眼于防灾、救灾、灾后处理等关键环节,建立一整套有效的灾害管理机制,提高防灾减灾能力。     

`Emergency Education': The Missing Dimension in Education Policy

Large numbers of children regularly experience educational disruption because of natural disasters. Donor and rehabilitation agencies, using an ‘emergency education’ framework, have usually addressed the immediate needs of such children and longer-term educational reconstruction. However, the imperative of continuous educational access to all children, and the need for resource and curricular policies to deal with frequent disruption, call for the inclusion of an emergency education dimension in traditional educational policy. This article outlines the features of such a dimension by drawing on the experiences of an earthquake rehabilitation effort in India (2001-02). Policies that target an improved post-crisis educational system create an opportunity to redress past disadvantages. Helping local educational institutions build capacities in curriculum development and continuing education of emergency personnel is crucial. Some new features highlighted include tracking local demographic shifts with the help of local leaders and the use of innovative teachers to handle children’s immediate recreational needs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

面向月良务的地质灾害预警预报系统

在分析地质灾害气象预警预报的业务基础上,考虑到提供地质灾害预警预报功能服务的共享,提出了一种云计算平台上的GIS服务动态聚合的地质灾害气象预警预报系统的分布式体系架构,并将其应用于全国地质灾害预警预报平台中。应用实例表明该动态聚合服务实现了地质灾害气象预警预报分布式数据的服务功能共享。     

Keeping the Beast at Bay: Fighting Mold at the University of Missouri-Columbia Journalism Library

SUMMARY

This article illustrates the course of action taken by the staff of the University of Missouri Journalism library during a mold outbreak in the Fall Semester 2006. While the parent library system, the University of Missouri-Columbia Libraries had a disaster plan in place, multiple issues occurred that subsequently changed the course of action over the 3 weeks of the cleanup. Those involved took swift action to save a unique journalism collection, and the ultimate results were positive. Consequences of these decisions are discussed. Suggestions for other libraries facing similar circumstances are provided.     

Online Catalogs and the User

Online catalogs are more than an extension of the card catalog. They are something entirely new and under continuous de- velopment. Although users are enthusiastic about online catalogs. their ositive attitude may change unless certain problems are cor- rectef The library profession should develop specifications for on- line catalogs that w~ll help eliminate user problems. Online catalogs interact with the user and can give himlher a sense of control if more modes of access for effective retrieval are designed. Online catalogs of the future should be more efficient if librarians have greater input in their design.