The Arecibo (Puerto Rico) Regional Public Library was hit hard when the Rio Grande de Arecibo river flooded in the wake of Hurricane Georges September 22. Edwin Reyes, coordinator of automation for Puerto Rico Library Services in Hato Rey, told American Libraries that "the river took the whole town and the entire collection was lost. That's the only library damage we know about at this point." Hurricane damage in the Dominican Republic was more extensive than in Puerto Rico, but so far no library losses have been reported.
The storm hit Key West on September 25, but the Monroe County Public Library system came away with minimal damage, according to Florida State Library consultant Mark Flynn. "The Keys were spared because the eye passed over slowly, causing a lull," he told AL. Monroe County Public Library network manager Allan Bosch said that the power was still out at the Key West branch on October 1, but the library stayed open for as long as the staff could stand the lack of air conditioning.
Posted October 5, 1998.