ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


C&RLNews U October 2001 /  899

Tropical storm  A llison

W hen Tropical Storm Allison circled over 
Houston, Texas, on June 5-9, it dropped as 
m uch as three feet of rain in parts of the city, 
causing catastrophic flood­
ing in many areas. Damage 
estimates for the region ex­
ceed $5 billion.

One part of the city that 
was hardest hit was Texas 
Medical Center. The Hous­
ton Academy of Medicine- 
Texas Medical C enter Li­
brary that serves the aca­
demic institutions affiliated 
with the medical center ex­
perienced severe flooding. 
The Street Level o f the Jesse 
H. Jones Library Building 
was filled with water and 
raw  sewage.

The Street Level of the 
building housed the com­
puter lab and classroom and 
the John P. McGovern Historical Collections 
and Research Center, am ong other facilities.

Approximately two-thirds of the public- 
access computers were destroyed. About one- 
fourth of the McGovern Center’s manuscripts, 
hospital newsletters, and personal papers 
w ere damaged. The records from the Medi­
cal Aits Hospital were completely destroyed. 
Historical videos and audiotapes have been 
sent to a professional company for restora-

David Page, jo urney electrician, 
rolled up his pants and put on his 
beach shoes to  h e lp  rem ove 
water-dam aged books from  the 
U n iv e rs ity  o f H o u sto n  Law 
Center's library.

collections, is being launched by Heritage 
Preservation, Inc. in partnership with the In­
stitute of Museum and Library Services, and 
with major funding from the Getty Grant Pro­
gram.

The index will m easure the condition of 
collections in the nation’s museum s, librar­
ies, archives, and historical societies every four 
years. It is endorsed by prom inent conserva­
tion professionals and national organizations 
w ho will participate in its developm ent and 
implementation.

T he p u rp o se  o f th e in d ex  is to assist 
long-range planning, fundraising, a n d  e d u ­
cation in th e field o f p rese rv atio n  and c o n ­
servation.

tion and transfer to new  media. More than 
800 boxes of documents, journals, reference 
books, and historical books w ere sent to be 

freeze-dried. Despite the 
dam age, the library re­
o p e n e d  w ith  lim ite d  
hours o n  June 14, with 
regular hours resum ing 
on July 16.

Another area hit hard 
by the storm was the main 
campus of the University 
of Houston. However, the 
University Libraries were 
extremely fortunate in that 
none suffered any water 
dam age, although high 
humidity will require vigi­
lance against m old and 
mildew damage.

Unfortunately, the in­
dependent O ’Q uinn Law 
Library was not as lucky.

It suffered heavy dam age to the facility and 
its collections. The entire lower level, which 
housed the governm ent docum ents and in­
ternational collections, was totally flooded, 
while collections o n  the up p er level w ere 
dam aged by the extremely high humidity. 
— Barbara E. Kemp, University o f  Houston, 
bkemp@ub.edu (some inform ation provided 
by Deborah H alsted o f  the HAM-TMC Li­
brary)

P itt's Schoo l o f In fo rm a tio n  Sciences 
w in s  a ffirm a tiv e  a ctio n  a w ard
The 2001 C hancellor’s Affirmative Action 
Award honoring the “outstanding University 
of Pittsburgh program  area or individual that 
has m ade a significant contribution in affir­
mative action” has been  aw arded to the Affir­
mative Action Committee of the School of In­
form ation Sciences (SIS).

SIS w as cited for its recruitm ent efforts; 
the role of professor em eritus E. J. Josey as 
SIS Minority Council advisor; reinstatem ent 
of the Minority Resource Office; ongoing sup­
port of ALA’s Spectrum Scholars; and estab­
lishment of the SIS/University Library System 
minority fellows program. ■

mailto:bkemp@ub.edu