Law School Ghost Town: The Role of Library & IT in Disaster Planning and Support

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus has presented law schools with a special challenge: If students, faculty, and staff need to stay home to prevent further spread of the virus, how can we maintain educational continuity and meet ABA educational standards with nobody in the building?  As law schools and the ABA have increasingly embraced distance learning over the past few years, the potential to mitigate a campus-clearing epidemic with technology is more realistic now than ever.  In light of this, how are law libraries and IT departments positioning themselves to step in and save the day when disaster comes?

This session will use the current COVID-19 epidemic to talk about law school disaster planning generally.  When students and faculty are unable to come to campus, what strategies do we use and what technologies can we leverage to minimize the disruption?  What are the elements of a strong library / IT disaster plan? What disaster preparations fall on Library & IT staff in a situation like this?  How can we communicate best with faculty, staff, and students to keep panic to a minimum while also mapping out a full plan of action to keep the wheels moving in case of emergency?

Speaker(s)

Real name: 
Benjamin
Carlson
Director of Information Technology Services
University of Connecticut School of Law