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Hurricane Katrina Library Update: September 12Here is today’s update on how Hurricane Katrina has affected libraries. See also AL’s coverage since August 31. Anyone with first-hand information on the situation of librarians, libraries, and collections in the affected region, please email Katrina Library News at American Libraries.American Library Association, September 12: ALA President Michael Gorman writes: “While our efforts have focused on helping those libraries and library workers affected by the disaster, we have also received enquiries regarding the impact of the disaster on ALA’s 2006 Annual Conference scheduled in New Orleans. The single most important thing that ALA can do for New Orleans is to hold our conference there if we can. “It is too early to know whether we will be able to hold the conference in New Orleans, but I want to assure all members that ALA will be holding an Annual Conference next year. Holding the conference in New Orleans will send a strong positive message to the city and nation, and the conference will provide tens of millions of dollars in benefits to local residents when they need it most. If we cannot hold the conference in New Orleans—and we should know this within the next two months—we are considering other locations and will make a decision in good time.” Chronicle of Higher Education, September 16 issue: Sharon B. Mader, dean of library services at the University of New Orleans, continues to hope that the Earl K. Long Library survived. From a friend’s home in Memphis, where she has taken refuge, she says she has been looking at online satellite photos of the area, which show that the library is dry. Mader notes that the UNO library had a problem with mold a few years ago and spent perhaps a million dollars to clean it up. Now that the city is under water, she expects to lose a good deal of material and end up with a mold-cleaning bill somewhere in the millions. Lance Query, dean of libraries at Tulane University, is staying in St. Louis, but he has been in contact with the few faculty members who stayed behind. They have reported that the main library, the special collections library, and several other small libraries located around the campus seem undamaged. The “great unknown,” he says, is the fate of an off-site facility that houses a half-million books, part of the university’s collection of architectural materials, its art collection, and collections from the Amistad Research Center, an archive of research on African-American history. From images on CNN, Query gathers that the facility has taken water, but he is not sure how much. John Burger, executive director of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, has been using email to compile and distribute news from librarians on the conditions of their libraries. He passed on the news that the first floor of the library at Dillard University was under water. Loyola University’s is reportedly dry but threatened by mold. He says he has heard nothing about other institutions in and around New Orleans, such as Xavier University and Southern University of New Orleans. According to his contacts, university libraries in Mississippi seemed to have fared better. Mississippi State University came through unscathed. The University of Mississippi libraries sustained minor water damage. Kay L. Wall, library director for the University of Southern Mississippi, says the library on the Hattiesburg campus suffered some broken windows but was otherwise spared. Mississippi Library Commission, September 9: MLC has these updates to libraries affected by Katrina as of Friday at 11 a.m. Central Mississippi Regional Library System, Brandon: All branches open and operational. East Mississippi Regional Library System, Quitman: As of September 8, the Quitman, Pachuta, Stonewall, and Enterprise branches are open. The Shubuta branch has been condemned. No communication with Heidelberg. Director Susan T. Byra’s home is fine, but she is without phone service. Harrison County Library System, Gulfport: The lower part of the library in Gulfport is completely ruined; the upper area still standing but with some window damage. It hopes to salvage its Mississippi and local history collection. The Pass Christian branch is gone. The Biloxi Public Library is heavily damaged and standing in 4-5 feet of water. The Margaret S. Sherry Memorial Library in Biloxi is in good shape and will function as temporary headquarters. Branches in West Biloxi, Orange Grove, and Saucier only minor damage. Director believes that the libraries in Gulfport and Biloxi will be condemned. While the homes of may staff members were destroyed, the director’s home was not destroyed. Long Beach Public Library: The building has been condemned. Pike-Amite-Walthall Library System, McComb: All branch libraries are operational. The Magnolia branch is without telephone or internet service. Pine Forest Regional Library, Richton: Trees are down everywhere and there is no power or telephone service. Branches in McHenry and Wiggins have trees on the buildings. Other libraries have minor damage. Director Brenda Knight is fine, but she lost a barn and will have no power for at least another two weeks and doesn’t expect phone service until November. SOLINET, September 12: SOLINET’s Hurricane Katrina website (follow the Katrina Response link) is now available. It includes:
Beauvoir, Biloxi, Mississippi, September 11: David Preziosi, executive director of the Mississippi Heritage Trust, writes: “The Jefferson Davis statue is the only remaining item in the first floor of the presidential library. The first floor of the library was the presidential museum and the second floor was the library portion where the Davis papers and other materials are located. Everything on the second floor made it through the storm; however the items from the museum are lost. Several archaeologists will be going down there to do a field reconnaissance mission to try and find any remaining artifacts that may be on the site somewhere.” AALL LawLibAssist, September 8: Sue Creech, Austin Satellite librarian, writes: “All Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Library staff from New Orleans and Gulfport have checked in. We are happy to report that everyone survived this disaster. There are property loss and damages, to various degrees. We don’t have all the facts, we wouldn’t know until they have a chance to return to their homes. The Technical Services, Procurement, and Personnel departments of the New Orleans Headquarters Library will be relocated to the Baton Rouge Satellite Library, in the next few weeks. Phone number: 225-389-2990. Reference questions should be directed to the Houston Satellite Library at 713-250-5696.” The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts adds, in a September 9 memo: “The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is closed and will move its operations temporarily to Houston. It will reopen on September 14 for the most urgent business. The Eastern District of Louisiana is closed, but the majority of the court staff and judges are temporarily in Baton Rouge. Current plans are to divide the court operations among Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Houma, Louisiana.” Socially responsible Katrina relief, September 10: The Radical Reference group has posted suggestions and links to aid people in their research to discover socially responsible venues of Hurricane Katrina relief. Posted September 12, 2005. |
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