Hurricane Katrina Archives | American Libraries Magazine

The “Landmark Undertaking” of the Tulane Libraries Recovery Center

By Terra Dankowski | August 27, 2015

This post is the sixth of a six-part series commemorating libraries and librarians 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. Yet Howard-Tilton reopened the same day classes resumed at Tulane in January 2006. “It was a little rocky that first semester,” says Corrigan. “The first day we brought staff back we had a glitch and didn’t have power … Continue reading The “Landmark Undertaking” of the Tulane Libraries Recovery Center →

A cargo ship and fishing boats left grounded in Bayou La Batre, Alabama, after Hurricane Katrina came through in 2005. Photo: NOAA

Following Up with Bayou La Batre

By Terra Dankowski | August 27, 2015

This post is the fifth of a six-part series commemorating libraries and librarians 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. The city built a new facility—renamed City of Bayou La Batre Public Library—at a new location approximately two miles north in Irvington, that opened in early 2007. “The new library is far enough away that, even if we … Continue reading Following Up with Bayou La Batre →

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

Coming Together as One Mississippi

By Terra Dankowski | August 26, 2015

This post is the fourth of a six-part series commemorating libraries and librarians 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. More than 50 people in Hancock County died as a result of Hurricane Katrina, and Thomas believes that’s because many had stayed in structures that had withstood Camille. “There’s a saying around here: Camille killed more people the second … Continue reading Coming Together as One Mississippi →

Pineville Elementary Rebuilds After Katrina

By Terra Dankowski | August 26, 2015

This post is the third in a six-part series commemorating libraries and librarians 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. “That was my first year as a librarian,” says Jeanne Tagge, library media specialist and art teacher at the school. “I had a library for three weeks, and then it was months without a library.” Katrina had … Continue reading Pineville Elementary Rebuilds After Katrina →

10 Years After Katrina: Commemorating Libraries and Librarians

By Terra Dankowski | August 25, 2015

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 … Continue reading 10 Years After Katrina: Commemorating Libraries and Librarians →

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 communicated with following the storm. Photos: Jefferson Parish Library

Business Continuity Over Collections Recovery

By Terra Dankowski | August 25, 2015

This post is the second in a six-part series commemorating libraries and librarians 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. “With Hurricane Andrew in 1992 it was more about, ‘Let’s save the books.’ Katrina was the first real storm post-internet,” says Hamilton. Hamilton and her staff got to work immediately, creating and hosting a website of resources for … Continue reading Business Continuity Over Collections Recovery →

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

Millions in Damage at Jefferson Parish Library

By Terra Dankowski | August 25, 2015

This post is the first in a six-part series commemorating libraries and librarians 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. “I can’t say enough, how I felt personally, when the American Library Association came,” says Haddican, who was working in the IT department of Jefferson Parish Library (JPL), headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana, at the time. She commends … Continue reading Millions in Damage at Jefferson Parish Library →

Latest Library Links

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Michael Kan writes: “Are you still using ‘chocolate,’ ‘naruto,’ or ‘monkey’ for your passwords? You really need to stop. All three are among the most commonly used passwords, putting your accounts at risk of hacking, according to new data from NordPass. The password manager’s sixth annual list of the top 200 most commonly used passwords is pulled from a 2.5TB dataset of stolen logins taken from various sources.” ZDNet offers tips for creating stronger passwords and improved security measures.

PC Mag, Nov. 14; NordPass, Nov. 13; ZDNet, Nov. 14
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John Sharp writes: “Athens and Fairhope are two fast-growing cities in the fastest-growing areas of Alabama, and there is no mistaking their conservative bona fides. But according to early statistics about library card applications, their libraries appear to be bucking a trend embraced by conservative-leaning groups and the Alabama GOP: Their patrons appear to be trusting the libraries. More than 60% of parents at Fairhope Public Library and Athens-Limestone County Public Library have signed off on all-access passes for their children with no restrictions on library usage.”

AL.com, Nov. 17
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Katie Gaddini writes: “Book bans may have mushroomed in the Trump era of reactionary politics, but they have a well-established history in America. One woman in particular, Norma Gabler, redefined the current strategy and logic behind modern book bans. Called ‘education’s public enemy number one,’ by critics in 1980, Gabler led the crusade against the so-called secular trend in school textbooks throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even though Norma and her husband Mel worked together, Norma was the public face of their efforts for decades.”

Time: Made By History, Nov. 13
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Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19
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John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
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Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
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Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13

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