This disaster is overwhelming, and it has affected the library community as much as any other. There are some great sites out there where people are already putting up information, so I shall simply send you to them:
Katrina Help Wiki:
http://katrinahelp.info/wiki/index.php/Main_Page An extraordinary resource. They
need some help maintaining their page, and to keep the information flowing.
Karen Schneider and the amazing folks at
Librarian's Index to the Internet have also created a Katrina resource page, including how to decontaminate water and rebuilding your home. They continue to add:
http://lii.org/search?query=hurricanekatrina
Similarly,
ThinkNola.com is being updated to include Katrina help info:
http://thinknola.com/wiki/ That site is being organized by Alan Guiterrez, a New Orleans native now in Ann Arbor. (via Web4Lib)
Planet Debate has some good, updated links:
http://www.planetdebate.com/scripts/topic.asp?I=715 They have a list of
issues to debate concerning Katrina and its aftermath.
The
Middletown (NY) Thrall Library has created an excellent Katrina resource page for now and for later research:
http://thrall.org/katrina/
Colleges and universities are stepping up to try to give some normalcy to refugees, both students and faculty. Cornell Univ. is taking in Tulane students:
http://www.cornell.edu/katrina/ I've also heard from a fellow Grinnell alum in Memphis that "Uof Memphis is allowing the LA & MS refugee/displaced students to enroll and begin classes with no question regarding payment and paperwork". Well done!
If you are looking for a friend or colleague you know from
New Orleans Public Library, try the
NOPL contact blog at:
http://nopl.blogspot.com
The
American Library Association (ALA) has put out a
press release, and they are also maintaining
a list with stories and information about Katrina-affected libraries. Some of them are pretty disturbing.
And finally,
from Rochelle at LISNews:
"If anyone in the Gulf area has a spare room or any sort of assistance they can provide to library workers and their families displaced by Katrina, please email me (lisrochelle at gmail dot com)and I'll forward to the Gueaux Library Recovery List. At this point, there isn't much to do except organize, and the Geaux group wants to be ready when that time omes. Please consider joining the list to see how you can help.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/geauxlibrary/."
