The use of the phrase “proactively ‘move the needle’ toward”, by Heinz et al. (2021: 2), intrigued me. It is a powerful idiom, or metaphor, meaning “to cause a noticeable change in something. The imagery refers to the pointer (‘needle’) on a measuring instrument, which moves to indicate the level that has been reached” (Farlex Dictionary of Idioms). Synonyms for ‘move the needle’ include phrases with similar meaning, such as: to ‘make an impression’, or to ‘alter the situation’, or to ‘significantly change the course’, or to ‘make a noticeable difference’, or to ‘shift/turn/transform a situation’, or to ‘make a big difference’, or to ‘let the genie out of the bottle’ (Power Thesaurus).
Disasters, whether natural or human-made, disrupt the lives of people. Often post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related problems develop as result of the impact of disasters. Disaster relief initiatives do offer significant community service and learning opportunities. The goal of intervention generally is to prevent a lasting impact of “community trauma and proactively ‘move the needle’ toward resilience” say Heinz et al. (2021: 2). The aftermath of wildfires, for example, present learning opportunities with regard to “mental health resources and services for personal recovery and long-term community resilience building”, and “mind–body yoga program and training in skills for psychological recovery (SPR)”.
A reflection on the role of public libraries before, during, and after Hurricane Michael in Florida, in 2018, revealed the reliance of vulnerable rural communities on public librarians for catastrophic weather support, say Mardis et al. (2021). However, disaster policies tend to be incomplete, outdated, or non-existing. With the frequency, severity, and variety of disasters increasing substantially; small public libraries often “serve as shelters, distribution points, and ad hoc government offices”, say Mardis et al. (2021: 769). The public librarians are often designated first responders and fulfilling a variety of roles such as “institutional supporter, collection manager, information disseminator, internal planner, community catalyst, government partner, educator, trainer, and information community builder”. It is recognised that “public librarians are uniquely positioned as key community stakeholders who assist communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters”, however, small rural public libraries are often ill equipped, say Mardis et al. (2021: 770).
Universities could ‘move the needle’ by having a community engagement disaster event plan ready, which includes experiential learning opportunities students. A range of potential outcomes could be identified. The preparation before, as well as reflection during and after formulated. The evidence requirements of learning, and the assessment criteria formulated. Not only would students benefit from learning, but also communities from the support rendered, and the university would gain.
Although disasters come in various forms of intensity, impact, and duration; the pattern of handling is similar, “beginning with preparation and planning for a possible event, then responding once the event occurs, followed by recovering from the event, while taking ongoing measures to mitigate the impact of recurrences” say Bland and McLain (2021: 10). Some come with advance warning, enabling alerts, whereas others arise with no warning. They categorised tragedies into four types, namely natural disasters, human-initiated tragedies, operational tragedies, and borderless tragedies.
Bland, R & McLain, L.F. (Jr). (2021). Managing through tragedies. Public Management, January, 10-15. International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Electronically accessible from https://icma.org/articles/pm-magazine/managing-through-tragedies
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/moved+the+needle
Heinz, A. J., Wiltsey-Stirman, S., Sharin, T., Loskot, T., Mason, D., Jaworski, B. K., & McGovern, M. (2021). Rising from the ashes by expanding access to community care after disaster: an origin story of the wildfire mental health collaborative and preliminary findings. Psychological Services. Electronically accessible from. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ser0000553
Mardis, M.A., Jones, F.R., Tenney, C.S., & Leonarczyk, Z. (2021). Category 4: Constructing knowledge about public librarians’ roles in natural disasters: A heuristic inquiry into community resiliency in Florida’s Hurricane Michael. Library Trends, 69(4), 768-789. Johns Hopkins University Press. Electronically accessible from doi:10.1353/lib.2020.0046.
Power Thesaurus. https://www.powerthesaurus.org/move_the_needle/synonyms