The Who, What & Where of Swine Flu Information

I'm on a disaster outreach listserv that deals with the role of libraries and librarians in dispensing disaster and pandemic information on topics such as the recent swine flu outbreak. The librarians on this listserv are particularly proactive and see the dissemination of disaster-related information as something that they are uniquely suited to do because of their technical expertise in web content posting as well as their ability to find, evaluate and synthesize information.

Well, one of the most active librarians on the list was complaining that she got her hands slapped because she was posting links to a variety of swine flu related information on her library web site. Her administration told her to cut it out because they didn't want people to panic. This kind of directive goes against the librarian grain, because we feel that, in general, more and better information makes for less panic, not more, and probable better outcomes for all concerned.

I think this controversy will die down as soon as everyone in the organization gets onto Web 2.0 technology. Or maybe it won't. Maybe it will intensify for a while. Everyone will know how to create web pages with links to information, Google Flu maps, and widgets of all flavors, and they won't have to rely on one IT-based webmaster OR one librarian who knows how to cut code or use web editing software. The underlying issue, though, will remain: who in the organization will be responsible for putting up the official content on the official web site? Through my Web 2.0-colored glasses, I'd say, "let them collaborate".