Lawrence Public Library director Bruce Flanders last week announced a new project to improve emergency preparedness for Douglas County residents, with a special focus on vulnerable populations.

The project, funded by a $14,000 grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, partners the library with the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, Douglas County Emergency Management, Kansas University Research and Training Center on Independent Living, and Together Prepared, a new community group.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Enhance access to public health and preparedness information through printed material, staff assistance and the Internet before, during and after a disaster or public health emergency, and to host a call center that will be activated in such a crisis.

• Create a Together Prepared Web site that will offer health and safety information.

• Pilot an outreach program using the library’s mobile van to inform agencies, organizations and residences that serve vulnerable populations on what to do before, during and after a major emergency in Douglas County.