At the NN/LM Greater Midwest Region (GMR) resource library directors’ meeting this past week, there was a discussion about the power grid for the United States. Consensus was that when looking for a backup library, you may want to consider finding a library outside your power grid. Here is a map from the Department of Energy detailing the location of the three major power grids. For further information on blackouts see How Blackouts Work from the website Howstuffworks.com.

In the October 30th issue of The Christian Science Monitor, staff writer Mark Clayton reported on the increasing attacks on the US infrastructure. The article will give you a good understanding of the vulnerability of our infrastructure and the need for us to plan for possible long-term power outages.