Damage sustained to the Hancock County (Miss.) Library System's Waveland branch (left) from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the new Waveland Public Library (right) that reopened in 2011. Photos: Hancock County Library System
August 29 marks 10 years since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast and became the costliest—and one of the deadliest—natural disasters in US history. Over recent weeks, stories have been recounting the damage to structures, institutions, families, and communities; offering tribute to the people lost; and showing how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go toward recovering local economies and populations, improving government services, and healing.
Jefferson Parish (La.) Library’s (JPL) Grand Isle branch (left) destroyed after Hurricane Katrina, and the newly rebuilt Grand Isle Library (right) that opened in 2012. JPL was one of the library systems the State Library of Louisiana kept in contact with after the storm. Photos: Jefferson Parish Library
Jefferson Parish (La.) Library staff stands near a bookmobile from Waukegan (Ill.) Public Library and cybermobile from Muncie (Ind.) Public Library outside of the destroyed Grand Isle branch post-Katrina. Photo: Jefferson Parish Library
Wet, ruined items were removed from Pineville Elementary School in Pass Christian, Mississippi, after Katrina hit. Photo: Pineville Elementary School
The rebuilt library of Pineville Elementary School in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Photo: Pineville Elementary School
Damage sustained to the Hancock County (Miss.) Library System’s Waveland branch (left) from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the new Waveland Public Library (right) that reopened in 2011. Photos: Hancock County Library System
Hancock County Library System’s destroyed Pearlington branch after Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Hancock County Library System
Hancock County Library System’s new Pearlington branch, which reopened in 2013. Photo: Hancock County Library System
Damage sustained to special collections in Tulane University’s Jones Hall building as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Photo: Andy Corrigan/Tulane University
Wreckage piles up outside of the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at Tulane University in New Orleans after Katrina. Photo: Andy Corrigan/Tulane University
BELFOR employees restore materials from the Tulane University libraries at a facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: Andy Corrigan/Tulane University
In this six-part series, American Libraries looks back at the stories of libraries and librarians in the 10 years since Katrina. Reflecting on our October 2005 coverage, we remember the librarians who provided services in extraordinary circumstances. We recall the libraries that recovered because of the generosity of others. While Katrina can be a difficult topic for those who lived through it, we thank all the librarians who spoke with AL for this retrospective.
Libraries featured in American Libraries’ six-part series. Illustration: Rebecca Lomax
These are just some of the Katrina stories we’ve heard from libraries and librarians. We invite you to share your Katrina story with American Libraries via comment or email and let us know how your library—or your life—has changed in the 10 years since Katrina came ashore.
