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Hurricane Katrina Library Update: September 6Here 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.Harris County (Tex.) Public Library, Houston, September 6: eBranch Librarian Grace Lillevig writes: “Our branches are full of evacuees using computers; one branch reported that 75% of its computer users were evacuees. Our Network Services department is doing its best to meet the need and get out more computers to branches and hopefully to shelters. Our staff is already out at local shelters providing storytimes and we are in the process of determining service at the Reliant Center (Astrodome) and other large shelters. A great story that came out of all of this is at one of our branches, a young adult evacuee has started volunteering at the branch shelving books. I am sure that this is but one of a great many stories to come.” University of North Texas SLIS, Denton, September 2: Interim Dean S. K. Hastings writes: “UNT has opened its school for any Katrina-displaced faculty who need an office and place to work. We will provide a home for you until your institution is back in working order. Please let our colleagues know that they have a place with us. They can call 940-565-2731 or email hastings@unt.edu.” Mississippi State Library, Jackson September 5: State Librarian of Iowa Mary Wegner spoke with Mississippi State Librarian Sharman Smith (who was Iowa’s state librarian from 1992 to 2001) on Sunday afternoon. Here is what she reports: “Sharman asked me to thank all of you for your concern for her and for the residents of Mississippi. Sharman and her family are unhurt. Katrina brought sustained 90-miles-per-hour winds to Jackson, where the MS State Library is located. Sharman lost a tree in her back yard, but the storm caused no damage to her house. The new State Library of Mississippi building, which is scheduled to open later this year, was also undamaged by the storm. Sharman’s home was without power for six days, and the MS State Library hasn’t had power or air conditioning since the storm. The State Library plans to reopen on September 6, and Sharman hopes that they will be able to bring their computers and email service back up at that time. “Sharman says that the damage south of Jackson in Mississippi is terrible, almost incomprehensible, with the full extent of the destruction not yet known. The storm surge along the Mississippi coast was about 40 feet, and the destruction extends from the beach about 90 miles inland. The Jackson newspaper described it: ‘From the air, the stretch of coastline between Biloxi and Bay St. Louis resembles scattered matchsticks, not the stately Southern homes and beach houses that once dotted the landscape.’ “At least 10 libraries are known to have been completely lost, and Sharman still hasn’t heard from some of the libraries. In addition to the libraries which have been totally demolished, many others have suffered extensive damage. Librarians and their extended families have lost homes. There is a tremendous concern about the economy, and the effects of so many people losing their jobs as well as their homes. “Sharman was touched to learn that so many members of the library community have been concerned about her and about the Mississippi libraries. The needs of those affected are so basic right now that there has not yet been time to plan for a recovery and rebuilding effort.” East Mississippi Regional Library System, Quitman, September 6: EMRLS Director Susan T. Byra writes: “East Mississippi Regional Library has seven branches. Bay Springs suffered no damage but is currently without power. Enterprise suffered no damage and will reopen on September 8. Mary Weems Parker Memorial in Heidelberg has not been heard from. They are not letting anybody in to Heidelberg unless they are delivering much-needed supplies, and phone lines are down or circuits too busy to get through. Pachuta is fine and will reopen this week. Quitman is fine, but the staff has no power or water, so will not be in until they can get that back at their homes. Shubuta’s building has been condemned and we will be shutting that branch down completely. All the windows were blown out and the roof blown off the building. There is no other place in town to put a library, and it was run by a single volunteer since the town could not afford to pay for it. So we are going to have to just shut it down. Stonewall is fine and will reopen.” Harrison County (Miss.) Library System, Gulfport, September 6: HCLS Computer Technician Bill Sumrall writes: “Director Robert Lipscomb is in Florida with his daughter. People reported OK include: Deborah and Randy Lundy, Charline Longino, Mary Louise Atkinson, Loretta Robinson, Sharon Wescovich, Van Ngueyn, Donna Posey, Herbert Calis, Melissa Saucier, Celia Barrett, Mike Webb (miracle), and me. Headquarters may be usable in Gulfport, although the first floor is heavily damaged. The West Biloxi branch is OK.” New Orleans Times-Picayune, September 6: Specialists working for the New Orleans Notarial Archives have been stymied in trying to enter the city and rescue some of the most historic documents in the city’s history, from original land grants to slave sale records and title records. The Notarial Archives hired Munters Corp., a Swedish document-salvage firm that freezes and then freeze-dries records to slowly remove moisture from them. But Munters’s refrigerated trucks were turned away by uniformed troops as they tried to enter the city, said Stephen Bruno, custodian of the archives. The trucks were headed to the Civil District Courthouse on Poydras Street, where many of the city’s real estate documents are housed, and to the Amoco building at 1340 Poydras St., which houses historic documents such as a letter from Jean Lafitte to Washington demanding for his expenditures during the Battle of New Orleans. Eddy Pokluda, head of national sales for Munters in Dallas, said the company tried to get one person in to make an assessment of the damage but was turned away, even though days earlier they had arranged with New Orleans Police Department to have an escort into the city. “I don’t think people realize the importance of these records. It’s imperative we get in there and see if these can be saved,” Pokluda said. Florida State University College of Information, Tallahassee, September 6: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research Corinne Jörgensen writes: “Institutions of higher education in Florida are planning for how to assist students at colleges and universities affected by Hurricane Katrina. At the graduate level, the FSU College of Information has the capacity for some additional students in our ALA-accredited MS/MA program. Although classes have already started here, we are willing to work on a case-by-case basis with students who may need access to either main campus or online LIS courses. Issues about tuition will be addressed at the institutional level. Although we realize communication is very difficult, and other concerns may be of much higher priority to those in affected areas, please help spread this information to those who may need it. You may contact me directly for further information. Dallas (Tex.) Public Library, September 6: Public Service Administrator Dale McNeill writes: “We are issuing library cards, free of charge, to residents of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. ID from one of those states or local registration as an evacuee is all that’s needed. This is a regular library card, allowing ordinary use of our collections and internet (we did create a new borrower class so that we can provide statistics, if they are eventually needed). “We are also providing a local emphasis website and updating it frequently. In addition, our bookmobile is visiting the main Dallas shelter. People can get a card and check out materials or take donated materials (and not worry about returning them). We’re doing craft programs for children. We developed a coloring page from a historic photograph (it’s sort of a ‘welcome to Dallas’ and something to do for the school age child; most of what we had ready was for preschoolers. We developed a flyer listing our services and showing a walking map from the shelter to the Central library (several blocks, but easy to walk with the map). And I’m sure we’ll be doing much more as a library.” Bossier City (La.) Press-Tribune, September 6: Hurricane Katrina refugees continue to pack into the Bossier Parish Central Library to utilize the internet and other resources. In addition to the use of the computers, the media-savvy library has made available a big screen for the evacuees to watch live televised events as they unfold from their local television station in New Orleans. “Having these computers and being able to watch our own local news makes a world of difference,” evacuee Santel Michel said. “I can’t believe how nice everyone has been here in Bossier City.” Sunflower County (Miss.) Library System, Indianola, September 6: Director Alice Shands writes: “SCLS is offering nonresident library cards at no charge to any evacuees in the county. Now that the Mississippi Library network is back up, public access computers are available for customers to get on line to file for FEMA disaster relief on line, and to check and send email.” Cushing Memorial Library, Texas A&M University, College Station, September 6: Curator Rebecca Hankins writes: “For those libraries, archives, or special collections in need of temporary housing for their collections because of Hurricane Katrina, Texas A&M University libraries is offering space to house those materials. Please feel free to contact me, Charles Schultz, or Director Steven Smith for additional information.” Idella Washington, past breakfast chair of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee and a retired school librarian from Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, wrote September 2: “I, along with two sisters and others are in Arlington, Texas, with my husband and one of my grandchildren. The damage is massive. It appears that service stations, electrical wires, trees, fences, houses, and everything else has been seriously destroyed or damaged on the West Bank of New Orleans. Many houses experienced water damage or damage in other ways. I couldn’t believe that my house had no water in it. I enrolled my granddaughter at Seguin High School today; it is only eight blocks from where I live. She begins school Tuesday. I think that I will look for a job while I am here.” Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, September 6: Head of Digital Services Kate Montgomery has created a Yahoo group for library employees at Tulane, groups.yahoo.com/group/H-TML/: “If anyone in the library community has heard from friends or family who work in the Tulane Library system, if they could please pass on this Yahoo Group link, and also email me to let us know they are safe. I’ve been compiling a list of all of our employees that I have heard news about, along with whatever current contact information is available.” Houston (Tex.) Public Library, September 2: HPL’s Toni Lambert writes: “The George R. Brown Convention Center opened as a shelter the evening of September 2. The library is installing shelves and furniture in one room for a library to be stocked with donated books. We’re also developing a schedule of staff and volunteers to do storytimes and children’s programs. Toys are being donated and we’re checking on public performance rights for DVDs and videos. They’ve got equipment and a big screen; we need to be able to show some fun movies. We’re partnering with the Harris County Public Library and with the City Parks Department.” Posted September 6, 2005. |
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