Disasters can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Documenting disasters may influence change, emphasize varied narratives, demonstrate social inequities, and/or be part of a community’s resilient response. And when we think about the word “disasters,” what often comes to mind are the “natural”: floods, hurricanes, earthquakes. And yet, a “disaster” is simply where hazards meet humans and has layered meanings. This project examines whether prisons or correctional facilities can be considered “disasters” in their own right. When institutions of imprisonment are framed as the byproducts of bad policymaking, they can be understood as human-made disasters that harm marginalized and oppressed people.
As part of the National Endowment of the Humanities-funded project, Disasters: The Stories We Share, Columbia University Libraries plans to explore “disasters” through an installation in the Lehman Social Sciences Library and programming for students, faculty, and staff.
“Introduction to Disasters: Are Disasters Natural?” – Discussion with Columbia Climate School’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP)
October 11, 2023 at 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
In partnership with the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP), part of Columbia University’s Climate School, faculty and staff from NCDP will facilitate a session that will unpack the question of, “Are disasters natural?” They will present an introduction to disaster studies by focusing on different narratives of disasters as well as provide background on how disaster researchers and practitioners evaluate risks, disaster impacts, and inequities throughout the disaster lifecycle. This event is open to the public and no previous professional or academic work is necessary to participate in the discussion. Learn more about this event and register to attend.
Agenda
Opening Presentation: “Introduction to Disasters: Are Disasters Natural?”
Joshua DeVincenzo – MEd, Assistant Director of Education and Training, Adjunct Lecturer, National Center for Disaster Preparedness
Case Study Presentation: “East Palestine Train Derailment (2023)”
Luke Turenchalk – Former Columbia Pre-College Student
Joshua DeVincenzo – MEd, Assistant Director of Education and Training, Adjunct Lecturer, National Center for Disaster Preparedness
Presentation: “Current State of Disaster Research and Practice”
Thomas Chandler – PhD, Deputy Director, Adjunct Associate Professor, National Center for Disaster Preparedness
Panel: “Voices from the Field”
Hannah Dancy – MA, Project Coordinator, National Center for Disaster Preparedness
Sean Hansen – MA, Staff Associate, National Center for Disaster Preparedness
“Disasters: The Stories We Share” Resources & Closing Remarks
Ben Chiewphasa – MA, MLIS, Social Sciences and Policy Librarian, Columbia University Libraries
Kae Bara Kratcha – MA, MLS, Social Work and Professional Studies Librarian, Columbia University Libraries
Emily Schmidt – MLIS, Journalism and Government Information Librarian, Columbia University Libraries
Traveling Exhibit at the Lehman Social Sciences Library
We invite you to view the exhibit, Disasters: The Stories We Share, which will be displayed later this fall in the Lehman Social Sciences Library, and explore how we talk about, learn from, and come to terms with how disasters have lasting impacts on communities. This experimental traveling exhibit was developed by Principal Investigator Susanne Caro (New Mexico State Library), Jen Kirk (Utah State University Libraries), and Ben Chiewphasa (Columbia University Libraries), for which host libraries customize their own exhibit panel and add a location profile to the project’s website, contributing to the broader narrative of disasters while also memorializing local stories and events. The Rikers Island prison complex was chosen for the Columbia University Libraries portion of the traveling exhibit to further interrogate the role of human-made disasters within the New York metropolitan area. Principal Investigator Susanne Caro states, “I’m hoping this model of incorporating local stories will change the long-term design of traveling exhibits to present a wider range of experiences.”
The Columbia University Libraries portion of the traveling exhibit was curated by Social Sciences and Policy Librarian Ben Chiewphasa, Social Work and Professional Studies Librarian Kae Bara Kratcha, and Journalism and Government Information Librarian Emily Schmidt.
More information, including a story map of exhibit content, is available online. Visit our evolving web page that lists resources and insights related to Rikers Island and prisons at large.
Prison Library Support Network (PLSN) Training for Libraries Staff
Later this year, Columbia University Libraries staff will be invited to take part in training led by Teaching and Undergraduate Services Librarian Sydni Meyer on how to research and respond to letters from incarcerated people around the country. Those who complete training can formally volunteer with the Prison Library Support Network (PLSN), an abolitionist information-based network that aims to share resources and information with people who are incarcerated.
This project was funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Public Humanities Project grant. Learn more about NEH grants here. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the NEH.
