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Hurricane Update: New Orleans Public LibraryNearly 200 New Orleans Public Library staff have been let go as part of Mayor Ray Nagin’s October 5 directive laying off 3,000 city employees in the wake of “financial constraints in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”City Archivist Wayne Everard told American Libraries that 181 NOPL staff members had been laid off and the remaining 19 have been retained as essential to the operation of city government. “Thus far,” he said, “we have been working on NOPL business, but if the city decides that we are needed for other tasks, we are subject to reassignment.” NOPL Director Bill Johnson told AL that the library’s immediate goals were to “reorganize ourselves utilizing the remaining staff, stabilize our special collections environments, repair the main library so we can reoccupy it, continue to assess damage to the branches, begin the process of gathering information necessary for meeting FEMA disaster reimbursement deadlines, determine what funds will be available the next three months, and begin to develop a budget that conforms to our new circumstances.” He added, “My approach is that even nightmares can be managed.” Although Hurricane Katrina left the main library relatively intact, eight of NOPL’s 12 branches sustained moderate to severe flooding damage. Four branches (Hubbell, Latter, Nix, and the Children’s Resource Center) remained relatively dry. Johnson told AL, “We plan on offering limited service at the main library and one branch in the next two months. The limited service will probably focus on internet services, including the creation of WiFi hot spots.” “We should have at least three branches open before the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans next year,” he added. The internet server at the main library was restarted the first week of October, and it is now hosting the library’s website, which contains weekly updates of recovery progress. The damaged facilities were as follows:
According to the NOPL website, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism has been working to insert language into the recovery bills before Congress to ensure that all institutions that fall within its purview (museums, libraries, tourism enterprises, etc.) are included. Working through the State Library of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, NOPL has submitted a preliminary figure of $17.5 million as an initial recovery estimate. NOPL staffers who have been laid off had not received official notification by mid-October. Seale Paterson, assistant manager of the Algiers Regional Branch, told AL that her “most definite indication of knowing I was being laid off was via the radio, when I heard: ’If you have not been contacted by your supervisor already, you may consider yourself laid off.’” City employees have been asked to register with the civil service office by October 31. “I’m assuming that they will be sending out the letter sometime after that,” Paterson said. NOPL Director Johnson said that “a small number of our employees have been able to take advantage of temporary employment opportunities. Many are prevented from doing so because they have lost their house, most of their belongings, or their car, which makes relocation difficult.” Paterson told AL, “There are just so many things to think about, it’s hard to make firm decisions. Being back in New Orleans has made everything a lot easier, though. It’s always good to come home after being away, but never so much as it was this time.” Posted October 21, 2005. |
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