Reviewing activities in restoration and reconstruction of the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster, we try to divide these activities into four types. In this typology, these activities are classified by the point of view “inner or outer” and “sole or cooperative”. Then we find new library cooperation beyond the paradigm of supporting and supported in outer-cooperative activities. These activities that we participate in a private capacity are “pro bono”. Importance of volunteer activities that librarians work for social and public purposes is distant from a nuance of word “supporting”. And we need new library cooperation in this restoration and reconstruction time.

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This article overviews the situations of damage and reconstruction of mainly public libraries in Miyagi Prefecture about 9 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Serious damage of library buildings was due not only to the tsunami or seismic sea wave but to violent shaking, the latter less reported by the media. We at the Miyagi Prefectural Library implemented reconstruction assistance for regional public libraries in both direct and indirect ways. Among them, we report in detail on the support we offered until the Minami-sanriku Town Library reopened its service. We highlight a prefectural library's role, acting between supporters and those supportees, to consider the necessity of middle organizations. We clarify what challenges we face and examine how best to provide assistance in case of large-scale disasters.

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We report the activities of saveMLAK, an organization dedicated to supporting museums, libraries, archives, and kominkans damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, focusing on the activities for libraries. saveMLAK provides a website using MediaWiki collaborative editing software for accumulating information regarding damage and support activities, offering information support, indirect support, and intermediary support. We also report the collaboration with Miyagi Prefectural Library based on the accumulated, shared information as an example of support for libraries in the disaster area. We describe the process of the activities of saveMLAK and problems emerging so far, and provide constructive criticism and proposals to other support activities for libraries. In conclusion, we suggest establishment of permanent organizations/functions to prepare for emergencies and to cope with disasters in the future.

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The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 caused extensive damage over a widespread area. Our hospital library, which is located in the affected area, was no exception. A large collection of books was lost, and some web content was inaccessible due to damage to the network environment. This greatly hindered our efforts to continue providing post-disaster medical information services. Information support, such as free access to databases, journals, and other online content related to the disaster areas, helped us immensely during this time. We were fortunate to have the cooperation of various medical employees and library members via social networks, such as twitter, during the process of attaining this information support.

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In this article, we described what was really going in the disaster medical care at the Great East Japan Earthquake, mainly in Ishinomaki and Kesen-numa areas. As for exchange tools of the disaster information, in contrast to the breakdown of fixed-line and mobile phone, MCA radio system, satellite mobiles and internet, especially SNS, were greatly helpful. Learned from the disaster experiences, we are making the grand design for “disaster-robust” regional healthcare IT systems, which are composed of (1) cloud center storing whole-prefecture medical records, (2) SS-MIX based regional healthcare information systems of “the second medical care zones”, (3) ASP/SaaS typed electronic medical record system for all clinics located at Pacific coastal areas, and (4) wireless communication environment supporting comprehensive care of elderly for daily living activities.

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