Library Information

Support for the restoration of damaged books and documents, contributions of materials, and access to other libraries' resources for colleges and universities impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and/or Wilma.

Restoration Resources

American Library Association (ALA)
Listing links to resources providing assistance to libraries to facilitate bringing them back into operation via the ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund, library damage reports, the ALA Adopt a Library Program, grants, and other related resources

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
Providing hurricane information for affected libraries and museums, including a list of affected libraries within the region, and extending the deadline for the Conservation Project Support Program from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1

Library of Congress (LC)
Working on support efforts through the International Federation of Library Association Institutions (IFLA) Preservation and Conservation (PAC) to provide information on restoration and preservation of library materials and documents

The National Archives: Preservation and Archives Professionals
Providing general information for institutions and agencies responding to emergencies on how to salvage damaged documents and materials

National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
Emergency grants of at least $1 million will be awarded to colleges, universities, libraries, museums, and other cultural and historical institutions affected by Hurricane Katrina. For more information, review the guidelines to apply for up to $30,000

Northeast Document Conservation Center
Offering an emergency assistance program to salvage any damaged paper-based collections

Contributions

CQ Press
Offering Customers Replacements for Books Lost to Katrina

Medical Library Association (MLA)
Offering dues relief to MLA individual and institutional members, set up the Medical Library Disaster Relief Fund which will raise money specifically for medical libraries, and lists the affected medical facilities in the region

SOLINET Job Bank
Developing a registry of temporary and permanent library- and archives-related jobs in the United States

Thompson Gale
Offering print and electronic resources to libraries for immediate access and when they need to rebuild their collections. Elsevier, EBSCO, and OVID are also offering free publications.

Library Access

Many academic and public libraries are extending library services to displaced students, faculty and staff. The services offered vary from library to library, so please check with the library to confirm how they are supporting these individuals. Many libraries have indicated they are:

Issuing temporary library identification cards
Granting a temporary library visitor status to those individuals
Providing guest computing accounts
Permitting individuals to check out materials from the library (i.e., circulation borrowing privileges)
Allowing individuals to use interlibrary loan and document delivery services, sometimes without charge
Encouraging the use of reference services, either at the library’s reference desk or via virtual reference services
Providing in-library and remote access to licensed resources
Providing library workspace
Directly linking to the FEMA Web site on public computer terminals