Articles
Dick Manikowski
Detroit Public Library
Detroit, MI
To
a large extent, individual disaster is our bread and butter in
information and referral. When
a family calls after having been burned out of their home, we
connect them with appropriate relief organizations.
When an elderly client reports having been bilked into paying
$5,000 to replace a perfectly functional furnace, we refer him to a
governmental fraud unit. And
when we hear from someone who's just been diagnosed with a fatal
disease, we put her in touch with support groups and appropriate
voluntary health organizations.
But
what do we do when disaster strikes on a scale large enough to
seriously impact our entire community (including our own staff)?
We
cope.
It's
often been said that the worst in circumstances brings
out
the best in people. The
same holds true for agencies. This
volume of Information and Referral presents the experiences
of several AIRS agencies during massive disasters.
·
The
ASK-2000 people who provide I&R service to all of Hawaii offer
insights into hurricanes and volcanic eruptions and the lava flows
and earthquakes which can result from the latter.
·
United
Way of Charlotte reports on their experiences following the
devastation of Hurricane Hugo.
·
the
staff of Switchboard of Miami discuss their role in southern
Florida's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Andrew, quite literally
the storm of the century.
·
Not
all disasters result from nature gone awry.
Info Line details their activities during the civil
disturbances following the verdict in the first Rodney King beating
trial in greater Los Angeles. The
author also offers comments on how new procedures and technologies
put into place following the King disturbance worked out during the
fires which hit the Malibu area this fall.
·
LINC
at the Memphis/Shelby County Public Library discusses the disrputive
impact of the Operation Desert Watch/Operation Desert Storm
mobilizations on their community, which has a strong military
presence.
This
is a fascinating collection of narratives, but that's not the point. The authors have written not merely to dramatize or glamorize
their own agency's actions but to share their experiences and
insights with other AIRS members.
Their focus is not only on what their agencies did but on
what they would do differently in a future disaster and what they are doing now
to be better prepared before
the next disaster strikes.
To that end, the volume also contains the white paper on Issues
in Disaster Prer)aredness for Information and Referral Providers
prepared by the AIRS Disaster Preparedness Task Force.
The New AIRS Journal
Welcome
to the new Information and Referral journal.
The AIRS Executive Board and several other people have put a
great deal of effort into revamping our professional journal.
·
We've
gone to a single-issue-per-year format which we can adhere to.
·
We're
going to focus on practical information and theoretical issues which
impact I&R workers, rather than wandering into adjacent social
science fields to fill the pages.
·
Each
issue will focus on a central, pre-determined topic.
The 1993 topic is I&R
in Time of Disaster, andduring 1994 we hope to examine the role
of communication within the referral process.
We'll be actively pursuing contributions from members and
other professionals.
·
Because
we don't want to lock ourselves out of publishing other worthwhile
contributions, a special NotesFrom
the Field section at the back of each volume will be reserved
for pieces which don't focus on the specified topic.
This volume, for instance, includes a description of the
Private Practice Referral Service operated by the Massachusetts
Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
·
We'll
do our best to use the journal to acquaint our readership with other
resources relevant to their professional activities.
After a long absence from these pages, Eileen Sullivan has
revived her Media Reviews column; in this volume, she presents information on
over four dozen books and videotapes dealing with such important
topics as AIDS, disabilities, death and dying, aging, sex abuse,
sexuality, and sexual responsibility.
And I've prepared an update to theComprehensive
Bibliography of the Literature of Information and Referral which
appeared as the 1992 volume of lnformation-and Referral.
Where You Fit In
We've
set some lofty goals for the journal, but we can't reach them
without your help. Information and Referral is yourprofessionaljournal
As such, it can't go anywhere
without
you. We need your input
so we can judge whether
we're
meeting your needs or not. We
need to know:
·
what
you like about this volume;
·
what
you don't like about it;
·
how
you think it could have been improved; and
·
what
you'd like to see in future volumes
We'd
also like your help in preparing the next volume of the
journal.
Turn to the last page of this volume for more
information.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
are due to several individuals for their
invaluable
assistance in the preparation of this volume:
·
the
contributors
·
editorial
board members Anne Goldenberg, Ann Jacobson, Norman Maas, Warren
Nance, and Elaine Woloshyn
·
Norman
Maas, who, wearing another of his several hats as chair of the AIRS
Publications Committee, provided invaluable assistance at all stages
of the volume's preparation
·
Peter
Aberg and Warren Nance, who are responsible for the ideas behind
several of the contributions herein
Dick
Manikowski, editor 1 778 Farmbrook
Troy,
MI 48098-2505
313/833-4033
(Detroit Public Library-voice) 313/832-0877 (Detroit Public
Library-fax) 810/641-8952 (home-evenings/weekends)
December, 1993
