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Green icon of a hand with a star inside a circle hovering above the palmAcademic Library Crisis Communication Best Practices

How do I know what types of crises to prepare for?

  • How, when, by whom, and with whom a crisis is communicated will depend largely on its type and impact level. Preparing for all levels of crises is an exercise in due diligence; however, assessing your library’s vulnerabilities will help you prepare for the most likely scenarios first.

Identifying types and impact levels of crises

  • Internal to library stakeholders: Prompted by administrative decision-making; directly affects the library and its staff. Requires more interpersonal communication, such as one-on-one discussions with CFO, board members, students or other internal stakeholders. May not immediately require communication with outside stakeholders, such as the media (contained).
    • Outsourcing library services
    • Acquisition of library space for other purposes
    • Staff cuts/not renewing those positions
    • Service dumps - being asked to do more with less
    • Communication: Emphasize clarity, empathy, and discretion. Internal memos, one-on-one meetings, and staff town halls are often appropriate.
  • Major, sudden: A disruption in business that occurs without warning and will likely generate news coverage. Immediately affects the health and safety of stakeholders.
    • Illness outbreak
    • Violence, such as a shooting
    • Facility emergency (fire, gas leak, infrastructure collapse)
    • Natural disasters
    • Sudden death or incapacitation of stakeholder
    • Communication: Rapid response is critical. Use emergency alert systems, official emails, campus-wide notifications, and library social media with verified updates.
  • Emerging, smoldering: Any serious problem that is not generally known outside, or sometimes within, the organization. Slow to build; may generate negative news coverage or reputational harm. Can escalate quickly.
    • Database or journal cancellations
    • Major budget cuts
    • Violations of regulations that could result in fines or legal action
    • Cybersecurity threats (phishing, ransomware)
    • Negative actions of a disgruntled employee
    • Communication: Monitor actively. Address early through stakeholder emails, leadership statements, and FAQs. Include legal or compliance teams when necessary.
  • Minor: A mild, infrequent disruption that does little to no harm to stakeholders. Can be communicated and resolved quickly; not likely to cause reputational harm. 

    • Website outages or access issues

    • Short-term facility closures or trimmed hours

    • Power outages or minor vandalism

When should bad news be communicated?

  • The literature recommends responding as quickly as possible, but only after all the facts are known and a plan is in place. If the outcome of the bad news is certain, even if the cause is uncertain, a quick response and frequent updates can bolster trust. 
    • Timely notification demonstrates that the organization has control over the situation.
    • Slow responses can cause stakeholders to lose trust.
  • EXCEPTION: If the outcome is uncertain, speed can be problematic as information shared could be inaccurate.
    • The need for a quick response must be balanced with the potential cost of sharing inaccurate information, and it may be best to wait to disclose bad news until more information can be gathered about the outcome.
  • Transparency builds trust. The literature suggests that there is a strong need for transparency with stakeholders regarding the situations that may cause crises, such as budget constraints, to garner support early.

What communication channels should be used?

  • Use a multi-channel strategy tailored to the type of crisis and audience:

    • Library Website: Central, controllable source for official updates

    • Email: Targeted communication for staff, faculty, students, and campus partners

    • Social Media: Immediate outreach during active situations; also valuable for proactive engagement. Use with care—have a clear, approved plan and monitor responses in real-time.

    • Internal Tools: Use Slack, Teams, or internal newsletters for staff-specific updates.

    • Emergency Notification Systems: In critical situations, coordinate with campus systems (text alerts, loudspeakers, etc.)

    Note: Social media use is no longer optional during crises. If the crisis is visible online, your library must have the capacity to engage quickly and authoritatively on those platforms.

What happens if my institution DOESN’T communicate certain crises with stakeholders?

  • Failing to communicate can:

    • Erode trust

    • Lead to misinformation and panic

    • Exacerbate reputational harm

    • Violate legal responsibilities (e.g., health, safety, or accessibility regulations)

    • Solution: Communicate early and often, even if all details are not yet known. Silence creates a vacuum quickly filled by speculation

Who should communicate the bad news?

  • There are no current best practices in the literature regarding who should communicate during a crisis situation. Therefore, a clear plan that specifies who is responsible for crisis communication is necessary.
    • Plans should establish a communication “team” with one lead speaker. All team members should be prepared to communicate with a singular voice.
    • Who is designated as the lead speaker will likely depend on the crisis scenario. For example, the library director may be the most appropriate lead on situations such as journal or database cancellations, or budget or staff cuts (targeted approach to avoid reputational harm). Whereas, a university administrator or communication director may be the appropriate lead on health or safety emergencies related to the library (authority conveys that the situation is under control).
    • This reiterates the importance of using consistent messaging in one voice for dissemination to stakeholders.

What else do I need to know about crisis communication?

References