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Hurricane Katrina Library Update: September 13Here 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.University of Southern Mississippi, September 13: University Librarian Kay Wall has this update on the USM campus libraries: Hattiesburg campus, Joseph Anderson Cook Library. Melanie J. Norton, the director of the School of Library and Information Science, had her office window blown out during the storm; her office was destroyed. This was a floor-to-ceiling window, and was basically one wall of her office. There was minor water damage at the expansion joint from the second to third library addition, and ceiling tiles are down and the carpet was damp. The expansion joint is in a hallway, so the collections were not exposed to water. Power and HVAC were restored September 1. Hattiesburg campus, William David McCain Library and Archives. While the facility sustained no significant damage from rain or wind, the Halon fire suppression system has been damaged and rendered inoperable, according to the University’s safety officer. Power and HVAC were restored September 1. The Hattiesburg campus classes began September 12. Campus was operable well before the city of Hattiesburg was able to accommodate the student population’s return. Power has not been fully restored in the area. Long Beach campus, USM Gulf Coast Library. The first floor of this three-year-old structure received 12 to 18 inches of flood water. The roof appears intact from satellite photography and all windows are intact. This facility is in the area under martial law, and we have not been able to fully assess the damage. I was able to do a brief inspection September 7, and the carpet was wet, and there was still mud on the tile floor. The walls had been wet and there is damage there. Items on the bottom shelf may be damp, but the flood waters did not reach the second shelf. There is no power, so mold and mildew continue to grow. Overall, the facility fared well, and it appears to have little if any structural damage. Classes are scheduled to resume October 3, and many classes will be relocated to the Garden Park facility due to severe damage of several older buildings closer to the Gulf that experienced a 20+-foot storm surge. Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Gunter Library, Ocean Springs. Located in the Caylor Building, the library took on flood water of approximately 18 inches. There were items on the bottom shelves that were ruined in both the main part of the library and the stack tower. There was more mud left in this facility, and BMS Catastrophe has been working on salvaging materials. Power was restored September 2 or 3, but the HVAC system is not working, so mold and mildew continue to grow. There was more collection damage at Gunter Library than at the Long Beach Library. Classes are scheduled to resume September 19 for the 45 graduate students at this center. Many buildings at this research site were totally destroyed. Stennis Space Center, Maury Library, Picayune. The university utilizes this library, but it is not under our control. I understand that it suffered no damage, but have no specific report. Communication is still difficult, so we have a hard time planning. I will be returning to the Long Beach campus area September 14 to determine ways to set up services and prepare for collection assessment once we are allowed to get into the building. We have three employees who lost homes on the coast, but all employees have been accounted for and are safe. Mississippi Department of Education, September 12: MDE Bureau Director Robin L. Miles writes: “At the present time, I can tell you that 28 of our schools were completely destroyed by the hurricane. In addition to this number, approximately 200 of our schools have reported major damage due to flooding. I do not yet know how the libraries in those schools fared. I will see what specific information is available regarding damages to our libraries and get back with you as soon as possible. We would be grateful for any assistance in helping our schools make quality reading materials available for students.” Society of Southwest Archivists, September 12: Ann Wakefield writes: “Of the approximately 50,000 volumes that were located in the basement of the New Orleans Notarial Archives, about 2,000 were wet. The wet volumes are in freezer trailers to be sent to a freeze-drying chamber in Chicago for cleaning and drying. The rest are in climate-controlled trailers awaiting a destination. After much discussion with the Amoco building owners and management company, clearance was given on September 10 to climate control the research center on the third floor. On September 12, air conditioning is being positioned and the windows are getting boarded up.” Association of American Museums, September 12: Historic New Orleans Collection, New Orleans: Executive Director Priscilla Lawrence reported that staff members were able to enter the French Quarter last week with a state police escort. The buildings and collections are high and dry. Much of the material was moved to a generous and accommodating institution in another part of the state. Because the presence of armed forces is now pervasive, they feel that the museum is extremely secure. They hope to be back in operation as soon as city services have been restored. Mardi Gras Museum, Biloxi: The Biloxi Sun Herald reported September 12 that the museum was in the process of being moved from the Magnolia Hotel to the Danztler Mansion. The first floor of the museum in the Magnolia Hotel washed out. Many exhibits and artifacts had already been moved to the historic Dantzler House, which was destroyed in the storm. National D-Day Museum, New Orleans: “The museum suffered no serious damage and has not been flooded. We’ve offered our buildings, warehouse capacity and parking as a staging area for the National Guard. We have no power, water, or communications. Our internet server is down but we will update our website to provide information for staff, trustees, and friends.” New Orleans African American Museum, New Orleans: Founder Vincent Sylvain reported that he has not had access to the museum yet. But he said it is reasonable to assume the museum and collection suffered major damage from flooding. The roof also probably sustained significant damage. New Orleans Museum of Art: Assistant Director Steven Maklansky reported that the museum effectively weathered the storm, being built on high ground. The building received only minor damage and the flood waters never reached its walls. Some of NOMA’s staff rode out the hurricane in the museum. Days later when FEMA officials asked them to vacate the premises they refused. In their relief the museum has secured the services of a private security force to protect the site. A larger, additional emergency generator and a steady supply of fuel have been procured to power up the building to stabilize the conditions therein. The art inside the museum is safe. The art outside the museum is also in good shape; the initial survey revealed that only one sculpture (by Kenneth Snelson) sustained significant damage. The museum will reopen its doors as soon as it is feasible. Pass Christian (Miss.) Historical Society: The American Association for State and Local History reported on communication with a resident who said that the historical society’s building is “totally blown away.” All that is left standing is an old safe where the informant thinks they stored their photographs and paper documents. Tulane Museum of Natural History, New Orleans: Hank Bart reported that the bunkers housing the collections are intact and have no water around them. They stand about 4.5 feet above ground. The concern is for the possibility of mildew, since there is no electricity for the climate control. There are lots of trees down so staff cannot access the bunkers. Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans: Director Erik Neil reported that sources indicate the main structure is sound. There are roof leaks and offices may have had some flooding. The primary concern right now is the removal of the most vulnerable works on paper and textiles. The off-site storage facility is located in an area of extensive flooding, and all indications now are that works of art housed there were damaged by water. Calcasieu Parish Public Library System, Lake Charles, September 13: Director Jeffrey A. Rippel writes: “In the meeting room at the system’s oldest branch, the Carnegie Memorial Library in Lake Charles (American Libraries, May 2005, p. 17), we set up 12 computers that our system administrator pulled from the ‘about to go to auction’ list and put back into service what we now call the Hurricane Evacuee Computer Center. That center has had 499 sign-ups since we opened it August 30. The signers had an average of two or three family members or friends with them, so the real count is closer to 1,200 to 1,500, and is still going on.” Collection and Computing Librarian Loretta Gharst adds: “Six computers at the nearby Civic Center were set up as a homegrown lab manned by evacuees. They were using a separate ISP from the facility and also from FEMA, so there was no problem with the bandwidth, but there was a huge volume of internet traffic to the FEMA website. Our Computer Center got referrals from the shelter we’ve tried to be helpful to both the Red Cross and FEMA. The FEMA reps told us they appreciated what we were doing.” KidsClick, September 12: KidsClick, a collaborative project of the Ramapo Catskill Library System in Middletown, New York, and the Colorado State Library, has been updated in the past week with added content related to Hurricane Katrina. The resources included are both specific (kid-friendly news on Hurricane Katrina) and more general (dealing with feelings, how to be a good neighbor). For the most part, these are sites aimed specifically at kids and teens, rather than support resources for adults. Maine State Library, Augusta, September 12: MSL is coordinating Project Katrina, a statewide effort by Maine libraries to ship books to evacuee shelters. Sue Lord writes: “Penny Brown, the Librarian at the Livermore Public Library first came up with this idea when she heard on the news that shelters across the south providing a temporary living environment to those families and individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina were lacking diversionary reading materials. It seemed like a project that Maine libraries might be interested in and it would provide a tangible way for people to get involved and feel like they were doing something useful in the wake of a tragedy. So far, 23 libraries are on board. One child on CNN remarked on what was the hardest thing to leave behind: He said, ‘I left my favorite book.’” Posted September 13, 2005. |
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