Disaster Relief for Libraries/Librarians After Katrina
Per Andy Carvin’s suggestion that Friday, September 2 be International Blogging for Disaster Relief Day and because I’m starting to find some information about how to help libraries and librarians in Katrina’s wake, here are some ideas and information:
The American Library Association has a list reporting the status of libraries.
LISNews mentions the Louisiana Library Association Disaster Relief Fund, a plea for housing library workers and their families, and the efforts of the Louisiana State University library school’s alumni.
LSU SLIS assistant professor Cavan McCarthy has a list of links to various resources.
The Librarians’ Index to the Internet New This Week includes many hurricane- and disaster-related links. (After this week, the link will be New Last Week. After that, I guess you’re on your own to find the links … I’m too lazy, unmotivated, and sore to link to each one individually.)
Of course, the ResourceShelf has lots of great stuff, including sources of images and data.
As well as information on its homepage, the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) has a blog to exchange information about the status of libraries/librarians, offer assistance, ask for help, etc.
Addenda: The Special Libraries Association’s Information Professionals’ Alliance on Natural
Disasters and Accidents (IPANDA) is posting information on their weblog. SLA has a page listing relief organizations. A letter from association headquarters urging members to help is circulating. SLA’s current plan of action seems to be to try to contact individual members in the area immediately devastated by the storm to try to find out what they need and how the association and its members can help.
Andy is aggregating blogs. He also mentioned followiwng the discussion through two searches.
The Free Range Librarian provides a number of cool links and plea from some librarians looking for staff members.
Rich sent me some links to Wikipedia (of course!) and the Middletown Thrall Library Hurricane Katrina Information Guide.
Wikinews should be hopping, too.
international blogging for disaster relief day is the tag to add information to the broader discussion.
Yes, I’m omitting lots of sources I’ve seen. Maybe I’ll keep adding to this list.
The use of technology for communicating about the hurricane and its aftermath fascinates me. Were things like this after other hurricanes, too, like Hurricane Hugo? Or is there much more out there now because of technological changes and the ease it is for individuals to put together a weblog, discussion list, or wiki for their community? Or does it have to do with the nature of the disaster, the need for information from within, information that perhaps the news media isn’t able to provide (like details about specific neighborhoods, people, etc.)?
9/6: I received a few e-mails asking me to add various resources to this post. I’m glad so many of you want to share things you’ve found. I encourage you to use the comments instead of e-mailing me privately, especially since I’m not always available online.
Librarians’ Index to the Internet Hurricane Katrina page
National Network of Library of Medicine South Central Region blog
9/7: The Chronicle of Higher Education has a special section on what colleges and universities are doing regarding Katrina. Some access is restricted to subscribers.
9/19: The mates over at Poynter have information about journalists and journalism organizations Katrina affects, including offers of and requests for help.
10/12: The New Orleans Public Library has information about donations on their Web site. Information indicates many of the branches are closed indefinitely and their collections suffered horrible damage. They have a page about donating books, equipment, and money.
