About the WNY Homeland Security Information Centers

The New York Power Authority in Niagara Falls… The West Valley Nuclear Services Company in Cattaraugus County … The international border with Canada … The Buffalo-Niagara International Airport … The many companies based in the region with ties to the military…

All of these sites are recognized as potential targets for future terrorist attacks. All represent viable economic components to the people of our Western New York communities as well as being part of the landscape that defines life in this area. The public's need for information in navigating and balancing concerns about security in relation to everyday activities at home, at school, and at work are significant and urgent.

In the aftermath of the terrible tragedies resulting from the terrorist acts of September 11, the Western New York Library Resources Council worked with its member libraries and library systems to post a “September 11 Resources” service on the Internet (http://bfn.org/library/sept11/). Nine topical areas are addressed including homeland security, the war on terrorism, travel, the Middle East , Islam, economic impact, bio terrorism, talking to children and, WNY Libraries web resources. Since then, it has become clear that the public's need for information on these and related issues has increased significantly and will remain indefinitely.

The Western New York Library Resources Council collaborated with three of its public library system members to establish publicly accessible WNY Homeland Security Information Centers (WNYHSIC). The idea for developing Homeland Security Information Centers (WNYHSIC) came from an article appearing in the May 2002 issue of “Library Hotline,” describing the establishment of similar centers in the Jackson-George Regional Library system in Mississippi .

Each of the three library systems (NIOGA Library System, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library system, and the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System) selected a library to house the WNY HSIC. These three centers, housed within a central or branch library in the north, south, and central parts of the Western New York region, provide public access to reliable and accurate information relating to the impact of global terrorism in our communities.

Logo Credit

The "eagle flying from book" drawing central to the HSIC logo was developed by V. Blair.

Template Credit

WNY HSIC committee members would like thank Brian Fending, Webmaster at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, for his time and skills in creating the website templates for the 3 participating library systems.