Dear AJL Members et al. I am forwarding a note that I received from Debbie Schlackman, Librarian at the New Orleans Jewish Day School giving us an update on her school and library.
I thank Debbie for taking the time to write to me. Toby Rossner AJL Chapters Coordinator I am the school librarian for the Joan and Gerald Berenson Library of the New Orleans Jewish Day School. The collection for the Day School is both Jewish and secular. The library also serves as the Community Library for Greater New Orleans and is open to the community for research, lending and sharing of resources. I would like to give you the current update of the condition of our school, library and the collection and ask that you pass it along to Hasafran. The library is housed on the 2nd floor of the Goldring Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus in Metairie, LA. This facility houses the Day School, the JCC of Metairie, and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. This building sustained flood damage to the entire 1st floor. The Day School administrative offices, cafeteria, and Kindergarten through second grade are on the first floor. The library, Beit Midrash and grades three through eight are on the 2nd floor. The library sustained no damage at all on the 2nd floor. The collection is dry and intact. It went without air conditioning for several days, but has been air conditioned for about 2 weeks now and looks like no mold will occur. I've been told it even smells good in there! The only concern I have as the librarian is the books that were checked out by our students and patrons, which may have sustained damage or loss during the hurricane in their homes or during evacuation. And of course it was the beginning of the school year when I highly encouraged the students to check out new books, so the majority of the books checked out by students were new. There may have also been books checked out to the classrooms on the 1st floor, which did sustain water damage and are now in the process of demolition and reconstruction. I will not be able to assess our collection losses until the school opens again, which is projected to start up in January. I will then be able to contact students and patrons about returning library materials. I will be encouraging the return of library books, but will not be charging students or patrons for unreturned books. I'm hoping to secure funding to replace lost books or damaged books, As to books and classroom materials in grades K-2 on the 1st floor: All books and classroom materials on the 1st floor were wet and moldy and have been thrown away, and will need to be replaced. The teachers are now in the process of letting us know what needs to be replaced. I will be returning to New Orleans Columbus Day weekend and will be going to the facility to assess damage and losses to the classrooms and will be able to give you a better idea after that visit. My own home has flood damage, and we are not able to live in New Orleans at this time. We are staying with family in Jacksonville, Florida, and I'm not sure when we will be able to move back, hopefully by January! Please let everyone know that the care and concern of AJL members and libraries is a great comfort to me and the staff and teachers of NOJDS. We have been very fortunate that our losses are not catastrophic, but it has been a heartbreaking process for the students, teachers and parents of the school to evacuate, leave everything behind, and begin a life away from home for an unknown period of time. We are projecting an opening again in January, but it is a great unknown about staffing, how many students will actually be returning, and funding to run the school. Again, as soon as I know more, I will let you know. Please feel free to edit this letter and share it on Hasafran. My school e-mail address is working again, and if anyone would like to contact me, the address is [EMAIL PROTECTED] Donations to the school can be made to: New Orleans Jewish Day School, 3747 West Esplanade Avenue Metairie, LA 70002 (Yes, the mailman showed up 2 days ago with tons of mail!) Debbie Schlackman September 29, 2005 Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL =========================================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
