Proactive Planning: Using GIS Data and Mapping Parties to Expedite Disaster Relief Response to Vulnerable Places

Humanitarian mapping activities apply combine open data and crowdsourcing to support disaster relief response and humanitarian aid to vulnerable populations. During mapping events, participants learn to use basic map editing software and learn how map data and information is collected. Then, they use map data to create tools that humanitarian organizations--like the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders--rely on to plan risk reduction and disaster response efforts. Mapping events utilize several information literacy-related competencies in which librarian contribution and instruction is useful, including the collection and organization of data sources, understanding ways data can be used for decision-making, the development of open knowledge and tools, and the provision of remote data access during crises. Libraries, as physical spaces, are ideal for hosting Mapathons and as meeting spaces for uploading data after field mapping activities. This paper will discuss how humanitarian mapping is used to help expedite first responder’s response during disaster relief efforts, and will illustrate how libraries are involved in humanitarian mapping efforts.