MISSISSIPPI LIBRARY COMMISSION

ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGE TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES

HURRICANE KATRINA

Thursday, September 15, 2005

 

NOTE:  The asterisk symbol denotes corrections and/or updates as of 3;00 P.M.

 

 

 

Central Mississippi Regional Library        In communication with director.  All branches

System                                                           open & operational.

 

Columbus-Lowndes County Library          In communication with director.  Some leaks,

System                                                           but no major damages.  All branches open.

 

Copiah-Jefferson Regional Library           * In communication with director.  All libraries operational & offering all services.

 

East Mississippi Regional Library              * In communication with director.  All libraries open & operational, except the library in Shubuta which has been damaged and will not be reopened.  Steady demand for Internet access.

 

Hancock County Library System                * In communication with director.  Library in Bay St. Louis suffered severe roof & water damage, building will be restored for use as a library. Waveland Library still standing, but gutted & structural damage.  Pearlington Library still standing, gutted, and everything lost.   The Kiln Library  received window & roof damage, power has been restored & library staff checking out books by hand.  Meeting room is being used as a Visitors Reception Center by members of the Florida Emergency Management Agency.  Plans to be open 7 days a week starting Monday, September 24th.

 

Harriette Person Memorial Library            In communication with director.  Library is fine and open.  50% of population of Port Gibson now is evacuees.

 

Harrison County Library System                In communication with director.  The lower part of the library in Gulfport is completely ruined; upper area still standing but with some window damage.  Hopes to salvage Mississippi & local history collection. Library in Pass Christian is gone. Biloxi library heavily damaged & standing in 4-5 feet of water.  Margaret S. Sherry Memorial Library in Biloxi in good shape & will function as temporary headquarters.  Libraries in West Biloxi, Orange & Saucier only minor damage.  Director believes that the libraries in Gulfport and Biloxi will be condemned.  While the homes of may staff members were destroyed, the director’s home was not destroyed.   

 

Humphreys County Library System            In communication with director.  Slight damage to building in Belzoni, but all branches open.

 

Jackson-George Regional Library             * In communication with director.  Pascagoula

System                                                           Public Library had about one foot of water on the first floor & will be closed until further notice.  The other seven libraries suffered minimal damage & opened their doors on regular public library schedule Wednesday, September 14th.  All libraries offering full Internet service, estimating that 20,000 – 40,000 library materials lost, not counting items in Pascagoula.  Next week plans to start showing DVD movies in the shelters.  Moss Point Library is serving as headquarters.

 

Jackson-Hinds Library System                   * In communication with director.  All branches open & operational, with a great demand on access to Internet.            Signing up evacuees to temporary visitors cards for 3 months & distributing free books at the Trade Mart.

 

Kemper-Newton Regional Library             In communication with director.  All branches

System                                                           open, with some damage in meeting room in Dekalb.

 

Lamar County Library System                     In communication with director.  Roof damage at all branches, but power restored in all branches & open.  Mold problem in Purvis.

 

Laurel-Jones County Library                      * In communication with director.  All libraries opened & operational except Sandersville. which will open Monday, September 24th  Long lines of people for access Internet - time limited to an hour per use.

 

Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional        * In communication with director.  All branches

Library                                                            are open & operational.  Libraries responding to the great demand for Internet access. 

 

Long Beach Public Library                          * In communication with librarian.  Building has been condemned.  Director believes might be able to salvage some library materials from the top floor.

 

Madison County Library System                 * In communication with assistant director. All libraries open & operational since Monday, September 12th.  Some increase in Internet access & limit of 30 minutes.

 

Meridian-Lauderdale County Public          In communication with director.  No damage to

Library                                                            building and open.  Serving a lot of evacuees with gift books and access to Internet.  Had to limit access to 10 minutes because of the demand. 

 

Mid-Mississippi Regional Library               * In communication with assistant director.

System                                                           All libraries open & operational.  Some, but not a lot of demand of Internet to access.

 

Natchez Adams Wilkinson Library              In communication with director. No damage to

Service                                                          buildings; have established Internet service with

                                                                        wireless in meeting room in Natchez.  Population in Natchez has doubled with evacuees.

 

Neshoba County Public Library                  In communication with director. No damage except leaks.

 

Pearl River County Library System            * In communication with director.  All libraries opened & operational Tuesday, September 13th. So great a demand for Internet access that it is limited to 30 minutes at a time.  Library staff “euphoria at the end of the day and the sense of having accomplished something that will truly help others . . . .”

 

Pike-Amite-Walthall Library System           * In communication with assistant director. All libraries operational.  Great demand for Internet access, even with 22 computers being utilized.

 

Pine Forest Regional Library                      * In communication with director.  All libraries open & operational, except libraries in Stone County (Wiggins & McHenry).  A lot of libraries are being used for FEMA & the Red Cross. Steady demand for Internet access.

 

South Mississippi Regional Library           * In communication with director.  All libraries open & operational.  Steady demand for Internet access (868 FEMA applications filed).

 

Sunflower County Library                           In communication with director’s office.  All branches open, with some leaks in Indianola.

 

The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal,              * In communication with assistant director.

& Forrest County                                          All libraries open & operational.  Twenty-six (26) computers providing access to Internet & the demand is still heavy.

 

Warren County-Vicksburg Public               In communication with director.  Leaks in river

Library                                                            side windows & some roof damage, but library open.  Power coming in & out; may have to close.  Providing free Internet service to evacuees.

 

Waynesboro-Wayne County Library           In communication with director.  Medium damage to building, but open.  Parking lot a distribution center for evacuees.

 

Yazoo Library Association                           In communication with director.  Library opened, although stained glass sun-roof over circulation room damaged.