New Investments in Gulf Coast Libraries – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

METAIRIE, La. -- Recognizing the critical support public libraries provided communities during and after the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services today announced major grants to support the re-establishment of lost public library services and rebuilding of public libraries along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s $12.2 million grant will help libraries establish up to 22 temporary facilities in Mississippi and Louisiana so community members can access books and computer and Internet services, provide support for the planning of destroyed or damaged libraries, and will eventually pay for new computers in rebuilt public libraries. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund will make $5 million available to support new reconstruction and recovery of Gulf Coast public libraries. The Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal grant making agency that provides leadership and support to the nation’s museums and libraries, will contribute $500,000 to the foundation’s effort to help staff the temporary facilities.

“Our public libraries have a rich history of opening the door to equity, information and hope. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, people flocked to the library for Internet access. Library staff helped them connect to loved ones, contact FEMA and insurance companies, find new housing, and rebuild their lives when other social and civil services were unable to support them,” said Allan Golston, president of U.S. Programs for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We hope our investment is a catalyst for comprehensive support from other sources needed to meet the true community demand for library services.”

The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund’s $5 million grant will focus on the physical repair and reconstruction of up to eight public libraries across the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama affected by Katrina. The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund has engaged the Americans for Libraries Council, a national non-profit advocacy organization for libraries, to manage this grant. The grant will target the repairs of facilities ready for immediate attention, the rebuilding of facilities with substantial damage, and the replacement of damaged or lost collections.

"An investment in a library represents a commitment to the future of the community," said former President George H.W. Bush. "Libraries are part of a community's pulse. It's that simple. That's why the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund is excited to partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the communities of the Gulf Coast on this very important project. The sooner libraries can start reopening their doors, the sooner Gulf Coast residents will feel they are getting back their lives."

Former President William J. Clinton reflects, “The Gates foundation has been an example to all NGOs. Their leadership has brought AIDS and malaria treatment to countless in need around the world, and this new grant will bring much-needed technological needs back to the victims who lost so much in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Libraries are more than brick and mortar; they are the catalyst for education and research. By investing in libraries we are empowering Americans with the ability to obtain resources for their future and I am proud that the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and the Gates foundation are contributing to this effort.”

The Southeastern Library Network (SOLINET), a regional library network that serves the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, will administer the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant and work in partnership with the state library agencies of Louisiana and Mississippi to assist libraries damaged by the hurricanes. Libraries face a significant recovery process. In Louisiana, 107 public libraries were initially reported destroyed or damaged with 40 still closed; in Mississippi, 34 public libraries were indefinitely or temporarily closed following the hurricanes with eight remaining closed. SOLINET and state library agencies estimate that approximately 500 public computers were lost in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Staffing of temporary facilities while heavily damaged or destroyed libraries are rebuilt is a significant challenge. The Institute for Museum and Library Services grant will help support initial staffing needs until additional resources are secured.

“Together, public and private funders recognize the power of public libraries and their staff to strengthen communities and support growth and learning,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, director of the Institute for Museum and Library Services. “There is no more important time to harness this capacity than now, in the Gulf Coast to help rebuild lives and communities.”

The grant announcement marks the beginning of a major New Orleans conference – the largest since the 2005 hurricane season – held by the American Library Association (ALA). During the five-day convening, library advocates from across the country will meet to discuss the role of American libraries in the United States and signal the start of library rebuilding. Several local library reconstruction projects will be completed by volunteers from across the country throughout the week.

“Despite crippling damage, public libraries in Mississippi and Louisiana and their staff provided a lifeline to people displaced by the hurricanes, but still, there are no established sources of state or local public funding to support public library services or rebuilding,” said Kate Nevins, executive director of SOLINET. “Libraries have proved that they can carry communities through a disaster and then help make them vital again; they deserve our support.”

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The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund
The mission of the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund is to assist in the recovery and rebuilding of the lives of those affected by the hurricanes. The funds will flow through partnerships and collaborations with intermediary grant-makers and direct service entities that are in the best position to identify the unmet needs of affected populations in the areas of financial self-sufficiency, economic opportunity, and quality of life. For more information, visit www.bushclintonkatrinafund.org

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The Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a “Nation of Learners” because life-long learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.

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SOLINET
The Southeastern Library Network, Inc. (SOLINET) is an Atlanta-based not-for-profit library cooperative serving the Southeastern United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) and the Caribbean. A membership network of libraries and other information organizations, SOLINET works in collaboration with many partners, from local to international, to provide leadership for cooperative action, improve access to information, and enable members to effectively anticipate and address the region’s needs for education, economic development, and improved quality of life. www.SOLINET.net

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Americans for Libraries Council
Americans for Libraries Council is a national nonprofit that works to keep libraries high on the national agenda and at the center of our communities. It develops and disseminates library programs addressing early childhood, positive youth development, access to health information, lifelong learning, and civic engagement; expands current knowledge about the value of the nation’s libraries; and unites civic leaders to celebrate and support our remarkable library system. For more information, visit www.americansforlibraries.org.