The floods in Iowa and other parts of the midwest aren't just affecting homes and crops, as horrible as that is. The University of Iowa has been under seige as well, including its library. Librarians had been moving books from the basement all week, but only copies of manuscripts and theses. But when they heard the news last Thursday that the river was going to rise higher than expected, they put out a call for help.
"All of the sudden, 'whoosh' all these people showed up," said Nancy Baker, university librarian. "Many things can be replaced but not some of these books." Many are out of print, books dating back to the 1800s or older that have been stored in the basement for decades. As the hour approached quitting time at 5 p.m., when all operations were ordered to halt and volunteers evacuate the building, hands just kept moving, with one stack was emptied every 20 minutes. Psychiatry professor Jim Beeghor said his shift started with Western philosophy, Kant and Spinoza, and he handed off to theater professor Kim Marra, who was glad to see a rescue of old plays from the 18th century, up the stairs, through the hands of joking students — 95 people to the top.The best guess is more than 100,000 books are moving upward as they raced the clock, realizing some would be left behind.
The Library Journal reported on other libraries affected, including the State Library of Iowa, the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library, and the the Cedar Falls & Waterloo Public Libraries.
Also falling victim, as the Graphic Arts Online site indicates, are several printing companies in the area.
I don't have any information on funds to help replenish any lost books just yet, but the Red Cross announced today that they disaster relief fund had been depleted and they are welcoming contributions.
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