Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian

Email from Susan Hart, Director, Rushford PL:

What a week. I can now finally communicate!
Phone, safe water, and lights are a luxury.
Some things that were bothersome before, seem so trivial now.
Our library is the command center since the flood waters did not slap
into this building. I will no longer curse the all the steps I have
sometimes shoveled in the winter to get in. Height is good! The only
damage is from sewer back-up in the basement where we lost magazine back
issues and reading program materials. We have electrical power and the
only up-and-running Internet.  Cell phone ability became a reality 
yesterday but it was very poor quality. Today it is much better. No land
lines as of yet. We will probably not function as a full time library
for another week. The city still has a curfew and National Guard, for
now, at highway entrances. Passes are needed to enter town.
Today, is the first that residents could get back into their homes after
a building inspection. About 200 homes are no longer livable. There are
no downtown businesses that will be reopening anytime soon....if ever.
No food or gas in town. Banks have temp set-ups in the school.
Clean-up is going to be a long tedious process. I appreciate the
information sites offered on the SELCO web page for clean-up. Have made
informational copies for distribution. Also, have so much appreciated
are all the offers of help/assistance from so many of the libraries. It
may be a while before I can thank each of you personally...but know it
touched my heart.

Donovan Lambright, Automation Librarian

Excerpt from an email sent in by Elizabeth Gibson-Gasset, Director, Houston Public Library:

As for the Houston Public Library, no damage at all, besides the mess I made in here on Sunday trying to flood-proof things.  I unhooked all the computers, copier, scaner, etc and moved them to the highest shelves in the place, put all the furniture and rugs on top of tables, moved all of our DVDs to safety, and moved the children's books up from the bottom shelves.   Now, I am (gratefully) putting everything back into place.  I just got the front desk computer up and running.  I have to say that today I have dusted and vaccumed in places that haven't seen the light of day since we opened five years ago!

Barbara Misselt, Assistant Director

Received this E-mail from the Houston Public Library Director via the Directors' list Tuesday evening:

A quick note about our friend and Rushford Director, Susan Hart, who showed up (despite the odds) at SELCO this morning:  she reports that her library collection is undamaged, although there is water in the basement of the building.  The library is, indeed, serving at the headquarters for the Red Cross, National Guard, etc.  (She says that the carpeting will never be the same, from all the mud and other waste products that have been tracked in.)  Susan confirmed that no one is being allowed back into the town limits without an official pass.  She also said that the business district was very hard-hit, that everything in town smells, and that the extent of the damage was unbelievable.  As for how we can help or support her right now, she said that Rushford's main priorities at the moment were simply providing food and shelter to people in need.  I think it will be awhile before she will have the luxury of worrying about the re-opening the library. 

 

That's it for now.  Cross your fingers that we do not get more rain in the days to come.

 

Liz Gibson-Gasset

Houston Public Library