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Hurricane Katrina Library Update: September 2Here 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.One Book, One New Orleans, 2005: Blogger Michael McGrorty points out that the New Orleans Public Library’s One Book, One New Orleans selection for this year was John M. Barry’s Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America. During the days of the celebration, the library offered discussions of the book and related issues at its branches. Natchez (Miss.) Democrat, September 2: The George W. Armstrong Library in downtown Natchez has been closed for much of this week, thanks to a lack of power. The power was restored at about 2 p.m. Thursday, but Internet connections remained elusive. Armstrong Library Director Susan Cassagne said Thursday that Cable One is donating internet service to the library, and she hoped to have it up and running today. The internet connections are vital as refugees search for information - from news of the communities they left behind to information about their temporary home. Libraries in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, became the epicenter of communications for Hurricane Katrina evacuees Thursday, as adults from area shelters, hotels, and private homes searched for information. The Concordia Parish Library’s Vidalia branch began expanding some programs to help evacuees on Thursday. Storytime for children was conducted throughout the day, Branch Supervisor Hattie Neal said. Evacuees were also allowed to make copies for 10 cents apiece, half the normal rate. St. Tammany Parish (La.) Library, Covington, September 2: Slidell Branch Circulation Manager Brent Geiger writes: “I personally saw that two of our branches are still standing and from the outside seem OK. We have 12 branches and I know at least one was probably under water. I can’t get in touch with anyone from the system for obvious reasons. Things will be disrupted for months.” University of Southern Mississippi SLIS, Hattiesburg, September 1: SLIS Assistant Professor Elizabeth Haynes wrote to ALA: “We have had contact with all the SLIS faculty and staff except one person, and everyone that we have contacted is fine. We are hoping that the other person evacuated to her daughter’s house. I have been in our offices and Director Melanie J. Norton’s office was damaged but the rest of the offices are intact. Many trees are down on the campus, but structurally USM does not appear to have received very heavy damage. The school will be closed until at least next week.” Texas Library Association, September 2: Executive Director Patricia H. Smith writes: “TLA has a Disaster Relief Fund, which we are expanding to collect donations for libraries in the Gulf Coast area as well as for libraries providing support for the evacuees. In addition to checks by mail, we will be accepting online donations beginning early next week. One hundred percent of all donations will be sent to the state library agency or library association in the state of the donor’s choice. TLA is also developing a plan to accept book donations for shipment to the affected states at an appropriate time, and more information will be available soon. Write to TLA, 3355 Bee Cave Road, Suite 401, Austin, TX 78746-6763; 512-328-1518 (voice); email pats@txla.org.” Institute of Museum and Library Services, September 2: IMLS has extended its upcoming grant deadline to enable museums in the affected area to take advantage of funding opportunities to care for their collections. It is also working in coordination with other federal and state agencies as well as with partner service organizations, libraries, and museums to best determine the next steps to assist with the disaster recovery. Mississippi Library Association, September 2: Catherine Nathan of MLA tells us: “Long Beach Public Library destroyed. The Gulfport Public Library and the Hancock County Library System in Bay St. Louis are standing but the collection is probably ruined. Biloxi Public Library is probably gone.” Houston (Tex.) Public Library, September 2: Interim Director Toni Lambert writes: “HPL is also issuing a free temporary library card to refugees. This card will expire at the end of three months and the limit is three items. Our libraries are all overflowing with refugees at this point. Many want to copy FEMA applications, so we asked Xerox to provide administrative cards that we could use to give these copies at no cost. Xerox was happy to comply and the cards have already arrived. We’re being contacted by many people who want to donate books, but we’re asking them to hold off for a few days. We don’t have storage space and need to work out the logistics. Although many are taking refuge in the Astrodome, the latest figures that I’ve heard indicate that the total across the entire city may exceed 100,000. We’re looking into the possibility of at least getting computers with internet access into the Health Department’s multiservice centers and possibly the Parks Department’s community centers. Some of our children’s librarians are doing impromptu storytimes when young children come in with their parents.” New Orleans Public Library, September 2: NOPL staffer Kim Tran is maintaining a blog with known contact information for library employees. Library community relief sites, September 2: Rochelle Hartman is maintaining a list of sites that address library community recovery from Hurricane Katrina: helping library workers and their families; fundraising; lists of affected libraries; recovery and preservation efforts. Society of Southwest Archivists, September 2: SSA has established a weblog to capture and share information about colleagues and friends from Louisiana and Mississippi who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Amistad Research Center, Tulane University, New Orleans, September 2: Brenda Square, director of the ARC archives and library, informed ALA that on Saturday, August 27, she was at the ARC taking down the art exhibit to put the works in storage and moving items to the second floor. She said that thankfully, over the past few years they have been moving important vital records and collections to the second floor. “The offsite storage is up high,” Brenda said. On Sunday, August 28, Brenda made her way to a friend’s house in Baton Rouge where they rode out Katrina. Memphis (Tenn.) Public Library, September 2: The Central Library at 3030 Poplar has designated a bank of eight computers for the use of hurricane refugees so they can file for disaster relief online with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and email family and friends. The library’s LINC department is providing information about food banks, clothing closets, shelters, physical and mental health resources, and other service provider contacts. U.S. Postal Service, September 2: Effective immediately, the U.S. Postal Service is not accepting any Standard Mail (Letters and Flats) or Periodicals Mail - from any source - addressed for delivery within the following three-digit ZIP Code ranges: 369, 393, 394, 395, 396, 700, 701 and 704. For up-to-date information, visit the USPS website. Posted September 2, 2005. |
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