What Librarians Can Do to Help New Orleans

In the wake of the historic disaster of Hurricane Katrina, many people feel overwhelmed. They may want to help in the recovery effort, but feel at a loss to contribute their meager skills. My philosophy for providing aid and assistance in any situation has been inspired by a quote from Nkosi Johnson, a young AIDS activist from South Africa. This young man has accomplished more in his short life to raise AIDS awareness than most people will accomplish in decades. He said, “Do all you can, with what you have, in the time you have, and the place you are.” I feel that librarians, and in particular African-American librarians, can do a lot with our God-given talents and professional skills no matter where we may be physically, emotionally or spiritually. I propose that librarians do all we can to provide four types of aid and assistance to communities and individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina. These are:

1. Information


2. Labor


3. Fundraising


4. Recovery, Restoration and Recordation

First, information is the hurricane survivors’ and evacuees’ most critical need. Librarians should disseminate the information via the Internet, newspaper and radio announcements. I would also propose the distribution of brochures or pamphlets at community centers, stores, health clinics, social aid and employment offices. Librarians should collect and organize information on any subject that is vital for people to reconstruct and recover disrupted lives, including:

• FEMA assistance (we all know how difficult it is to get straight answers from this organization)


• Housing assistance and housing vouchers


• Insurance claims


• Employment assistance


• Mental health and counseling assistance


• Access to social programs (WIC, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.)


• Animal shelters


• Updates on rebuilding processes in LA, MS and AL


• Construction contracts and bidding process


• Missing Persons (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)


• Healthcare (where to go, what services are offered, what payments are accepted)


• Public, parochial and higher education (what schools are opening, when, and at what capacities )


• Youth services (any aid or info that is specific to the needs of children and teenagers)

Second, librarians should do all we can to assist in the rebuilding process of severely damaged and destroyed libraries. It will be a difficult and counterproductive process for librarians to provide information to others if we do not have our own headquarters. Although I myself am not a handy person with a hammer and a nail, I feel that I could still contribute something to the rebuilding of a library in the same way that ordinary people help build homes for Habitat for Humanity. I could perhaps assemble shelving, apply a fresh coat of paint on the walls or assist wherever I was needed. This form of assistance will also serve to help librarians (re)build a sense of ownership in our communities.
Third, I recommend that librarians should do all we can to help raise funds to rebuild. These funds should not only be used to rebuild libraries, but entire communities. I propose that:

• Librarians lobby our professional organizations to donate funds.


• Professional organizations lobby Congress for funds for libraries and communities.


• Librarians hold fundraising activities such as book sales.


• Librarians at the New Orleans universities (Tulane, Dillard, Xavier) also contribute to the fundraising effort in the community.

Finally, I believe that librarians should do all we can to salvage any historical items from the disaster zone and make sure that this historical event is recorded for posterity. I call this type of aid Recovery, Restoration and Recordation. On the news, I have heard that homes of many jazz legends are located in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. When I imagine the jazz history that must currently founder in mold and filth, it breaks my heart. Furthermore, many African-American artifacts from the slavery-era are also likely located in the Ninth Ward. I am also concerned about the historical artifacts in the old houses of the Garden District and the French Quarter of New Orleans. If any of these houses are still unoccupied, their contents are at risk. Although located in a wealthy and predominantly white area of town, I believe that the historical artifacts located there are no less essential to the telling of the African-American story. The same principle also applies for the destroyed towns of Mississippi and Alabama. I propose that librarian commando squads could be recruited from libraries around the country (or the world). We could come into the areas affected by Katrina with a mission. We are to: 1) recover historical artifacts from risk of destruction or theft, 2) restore and repair damaged artifacts, and 3) record the aftermath and recovery of Hurricane Katrina via still photo, digital photo, digital video, survivor narratives and written reflections.
I love Nkosi’s quote because it demands that when you get an opportunity to make a difference, you should look at yourself instead of your neighbor. It also demands that you look at your assets instead of your liabilities. On the other hand, if you are a flawed individual (and who among us is not?), Nkosi’s quote permits you to make small contributions in your own time, while working through your own issues and without feeling that your efforts are meaningless.
Librarians don’t necessarily have a lot of political power because nations do not rise and fall at our whims. No, our power is derived from our organizational, literary, analytical, archival and critical thinking skills. We hold the keys to a society’s history. Lord knows that we don’t make a lot of money, so we are unable to make multimillion dollar donations to the Katrina Fund. Yet, we have a passion for literacy, civic responsibility, and community involvement. We are not a monolithic force -- we are located across the country and the world; we work in many different capacities; we practice many different faiths; we hold many different opinions. Nevertheless, we are all bound by the same beliefs in a free society, an accountable government and an educated and informed populace. I propose that librarians do all they can and with what they have to offer 1) Information, 2) Labor, 3) Fundraising and 4) Recovery, Restoration and Recordation to the Hurricane Katrina Recovery effort. However, we must each decide whether to take up this mantle; we must first discover where we are and we will do with our time.
“Do all you can, with what you have, in the time you have, and the place you are.”