The Lee-Bardwell Public Library Community Collaboration Process: A Case Study Adapting COPEWELL for Community Resiliency in Gladewater, Texas
Date
2023-12-01
Authors
Long, Rex
Eger, Elizabeth K.
Tonciu, Anca
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Translational Health Research Center
Abstract
This Translational Health Research Center (THRC) case study report details the experiences and outcomes of a group of community stakeholders in Gladewater, TX that participated in a pilot project involving rural libraries and librarians as conveners for community resiliency. The Library Director of the Lee-Bardwell Public Library participated as a community partner and assisted in convening the stakeholder cohort to represent a diverse range of community voices and experiences to discuss community resiliency. Through connecting collaboration techniques from Communication Studies and an adaptation of the COPEWELL (Composite of Post-Event Wellbeing) framework, stakeholders identified key community challenges and began to identify feasible action items to address them. This process identified two significant challenges: (1) the gap in communicating emergency management plans between the city and residents, and (2) the need to better orient residents to participate in disaster response alongside official response efforts. As a collective, stakeholders identified starting action items as: (1) diversifying modes of communication, (2) formalizing youth outreach regarding disaster preparedness, (3) pursue grant funding for needed repairs/infrastructure needs, (4) identify funding to staff an emergency-management liaison position, and (5) formalize the stakeholder cohort into an official Emergency Management Committee. This THRC case study is a companion report to the case study for Pottsboro, TX, and is an extension of the THRC pilot process report.
Description
Keywords
libraries, community resiliency, community resilience, community collaboration, rural communities, COPEWELL, Texas libraries, applied communication, resiliency, resilience, emergency management, disaster preparedness
Citation
Long, R., Eger, E. K., & Tonciu, A. (2023). The Lee-Bardwell Public Library community collaboration process: A case study adapting COPEWELL for community resiliency in Gladewater, Texas. Translational Health Research Center, Texas State University.