Library Cleanup
ALA Office of Diversity sponsored a cleanup project at the Nola Navra Branch of the NOPL. Located in the 7th Ward, this library has been closed since Katrina hit. We were the first group to enter. Working with Hands On New Orleans and Common Ground Collective, our task was to gut the building. Because of the water damage and mold, every book, every piece of furniture, everything had to be removed.
Tossing children’s books (Frindle, Bright April, Ramona the Brave) was heartbreaking. Books were sealed together into black, molded packs. Wooden shelving fell apart with a touch. Under the circ desk, binders and handbooks were still soggy. Vases and bowls under the sink splashed remnant flood water on me.
One day, forty people, one library nearly prepped for rebuilding. We saw whole neighborhoods that haven’t been touched.
There’s so much more work to do. If you would like to volunteer or contribute to the cleanup effort, contact: Hands On New Orleans, ALA Katrina Relief Effort, Common Ground Collective , or other organizations. They’ll need helping hands for a long time.
