State Library of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, September 2:
New Orleans Public Library: State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton writes, “Geri Harris just called me and it doesn’t look good. Martin Luther King Jr. branch (1611 Coffin Ave.) is devastated. The Main Library at 219 Loyola Ave. has water up to the first floor, which likely destroyed all archives. The Milton H. Latter branch (5120 St. Charles) looks ok. Geri is in contact with many NOPL staff and they are ok.”
Plaquemines Parish Library, Buras: Director Janet Cantwell writes, “From what I can gather, Buras Library had possibly 18-20 feet of water. The building is there. The Port Sulphur branch may have gotten 7-10 feet of water. I don’t have any confirmed information on it. The Belle Chasse branch did not get water but I know nothing else. I know that there was a tornado or more in that area. I know some businesses are gone and others damaged. But the football field across the street from the library is being used as a copter landing area. I believe 10 of the current staff of 12 have flooded or no homes.”
St. Bernard Parish Library, Chalmette: State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton writes: “Director Ethel Llamas is in Bunkie and her brother told her that 12 feet of water was in the library. Staff got out ok.”
St. Charles Parish Library, Luling: Library Consultant Dorothy White writes, “I just talked with Director Mary des Bordes from St. Charles library. She is at her house in Hammond, though without power or water. Her staff members are all okay, and her systems librarian called to say that she just had her baby at a hospital in Dallas. She drove to St. Charles on Wednesday, and found that all the libraries are okay with minor wind damage, and no water or structural damage. Some trees are down on library property. The parish officials are strongly suggesting that no one return to St. Charles because power is still out over most of the parish. They will be concentrating on getting industries up and running first, and have even told those employees not to bring their families back until power is restored. Mary doesn’t know when the libraries will reopen, but suspects it will be at least several weeks, according to information from parish officials.”
St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington: Library Consultant Dorothy White writes, “St. Tammany director Jan Butler just called. She and her staff are all okay. No one has any power in St. Tammany, so she doesn’t know when the libraries will reopen, but as soon as power is restored, they will be up and running. The only branch that was flooded was Pontchartrain in Slidell, which got 5-6 feet of water. She thinks the other branches have only wind damage, but no real structural damage. At home in Covington, today she is watching a crew remove the five trees that fell on her house.”
Tangipahoa Parish Library, Amite: Library Consultant Dorothy White writes, “Jan Butler also said that the libraries in Tangipahoa seem to be okay. She rode by Hammond, and saw a broken window. Pontchatoula and Hammond did not get any flooding.”
Harrison County (Miss.) Library System, Margaret Sherry branch, Biloxi, September 3:
Sharon Davis writes: “Carrie Bellais and Rachel Roberts from Margaret Sherry are okay. Carrie has a broken arm, but is otherwise okay. Me and my kids are in Jackson. The MS library survived almost intact. There was a small amount of water on the floor in the meeting room, but that was the only damage I could see.”
St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, September 3:
The Waveland branch of the Hancock County (Miss.) Library System is one of the buildings left in town that is “still recognizable.”
Louisiana State University SLIS, Baton Rouge, September 3:
SLIS Dean Beth Paskoff writes: “The faculty and staff of the LSU School of Library and Information Science all came through the storm with few problems. Those of us who still have no electricity or telephone service expect it again over the weekend. The university had almost no damage, and is serving as a triage center for those being evacuated from New Orleans. We have been trying to get in touch with all of our students and alumni from New Orleans and the surrounding area, as well as to get reports from the libraries that have been affected.”
American Association of Museums, September 2:
Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis’s home (as of September 2). The Clarion Ledger reported on August 31 that Beauvoir, located in Biloxi, was “virtually demolished.” George Malvaney reported that he visited Beauvoir on the evening of August 31. He said the bottom floor of the house was gone, the upstairs badly damaged, but that many artifacts were intact. He said artifacts have been temporarily secured. On September 1, Greg Biggs reported from Larry McCluney that approximately 65% of the main house still stands, although the porch, windows, doors, columns, and front porch are gone. The first floor of the library is gone, but Davis’s papers had been moved upstairs and survived. The small home where Davis resided survived. Other buildings, such as the gift shop, are gone.
Shreveport (La.) Times, September 1:
Northop-Grumman finance officer Larry Nelson, who fled Metairie with his wife and daughter Sunday afternoon to stay with his wife’s relatives in Shreveport, scrambled to contact coworkers and corporate management Wednesday from a computer terminal at Shreve Memorial Library’s Hamilton-South Caddo Branch on Bert Kouns Industrial Loop in Shreveport. “(This library) is probably going to save me when I do get in contact with people,” he said.
Bossier Parish Library’s main location in Bossier City plans to stay open Sunday and Monday, despite the Labor Day holiday, to accommodate an influx that numbers dozens of people daily. Information technology centers with extra computer and internet banks are at the Hamilton-South Caddo branch as well as the main office on Texas Street in downtown Shreveport and the West Shreveport, North Shreveport, and Mooretown branches, said Shreve Memorial Library spokeswoman Ivy Latin
“We’ve had dozens and dozens of refugees come in,” said Louis Covington, director of the Bossier Parish Library. “They’re using all the branches actually. And we’ve made a number of staff computers available at the Central Library.”
“It’s been very emotional for the staff,” Adult Services Librarian Martha Matlock said. “There would be a family sitting at computer and suddenly they know that what they’re seeing is their neighborhood under water. I looked up and the man had tears on his face. I just hugged him. I have hugged many strangers over the last two days. It has been an experience.”
Posted September 3, 2005.