Rebuild Mississippi Libraries Fund

December 14, 2005

Comments

Harry Boswell points to the need to rebuild Mississippi libraries devasted by Katrina:

The Hancock County Library System lost nearly its entire 117,000 volume collection, along with severe to total damage to 3 of the 4 facilities

The Harrison County Library System lost perhaps half of its 315,000 volumes, 3 of 5 facilities destroyed.

The Long Beach Public Library lost all 60,000 volumes and the library building.

The East Mississippi Regional LIbrary lost all 97,000 volumes and its only building.

The Jackson-George County Library System lost about 20% of its 300,000 volumes.

While this immediately brought to mind the old joke, “I was arrested for smuggling books into Mississippi but got off because they couldn’t prove they were books,” it’s a worthy cause. If you’d like to help out, you can send tax deductible contributions to:

3 responses to “Rebuild Mississippi Libraries Fund”

Richard Gardner

December 14, 2005 at 10:50 pm

What, you mean there are needs outside New Orleans? I haven’t seen that on the news lately (except a few generic mentions of Louisiana in general). (yes, I’m being sarcastic.)
reader_iam

December 15, 2005 at 5:41 pm

Richard:

Boy, do you have that right. Inexcusably, it’s been like that from the beginning.

My church is partnering with one in the Gulf Streams, MS area to provide whatever is needed, not just for parishioners, of course, but for whomever within the larger community. Right now, there’s a lot of call for such things as Home Depot gift cards in amounts of $100 and up. People are actually responding pretty well, but it just amazes me so often to hear: “So, this is to help Katrina victims, in New Orleans?

Sigh. Although at least they give while they’re saying it.