A man walks past burning debris in an area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in Minamisanriku town, Miyagi prefecture, April 23, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Toru Hanai.In the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, many people's first instinct was to ask "how can I help?". Governments, agencies, medical personnel, private citizens--and libraries--all sprang into action, contributing aid in whatever form they could.
The helping hand proffered by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) and collaborating publishers materialized in the form of what they provide best--information access.
The Emergency Access Initiative (EAI), provided on humanitarian grounds through the generosity of the NLM and participating publishers and activated shortly after the devastation struck Japan, is supporting medical efforts there by providing temporary full-text access to information sources for emergency responders and libraries impacted by the disaster.
By serving as a temporary collection replacement and/or supplement for affected libraries and for those directly assisting the affected population, the NLM and participating publishers are doing what they do best--when and where it's needed most.
By: Marilyn Goff and Sandy Cochran
