Gulf Coast Libraries Project

On June 22, 2006, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded a grant to LYRASIS (formerly SOLINET) to assist public libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi that were damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The goal of the Gulf Coast Libraries Project was to ensure access to libraries and computers for residents of the impacted communities. An additional focus of the Project was strengthening library staff skills and increasing staff capacity in library systems along the Gulf Coast. Please read the press release.

LYRASIS worked in partnership with the State Library of Louisiana, the Mississippi Library Commission, and library systems in the affected region to:

• Establish and operate 21 temporary library facilities by supporting the acquisition and set-up of facilities and book/tech mobiles, including funding for staff and operating expenses for three years.
• Support and assist with planning for the rebuilding of libraries.
• Replace public access computers (PACs) lost during the hurricanes in rebuilt libraries.

Noteworthy accomplishments of the Gulf Coast Libraries Project from the Evaluation Report:

To view the complete Evaluation Report, please click here.
 
As of November 2011, 16 of the 21 public library facilities destroyed or damaged in the storm have been rebuilt, funded and are open and serving their communities.
Ten new facilities are completed and six facilities are open long-term through GCLP structures (temporary libraries, bookmobiles, and existing buildings). The remaining five facilities under construction are expected to open in 2012. Funds for rebuilding have come from a combination of FEMA, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), local taxes, and private foundations.
 
The $12.2 million grant from the Gates Foundation has generated additional support in excess of $58.5 million from local, parish/county, state and federal sources to fund rebuilding of public libraries.
 
The new libraries and temporary locations have led to significant increases in use, in some cases with use greater than pre-storm levels.
 
As a result of the post-storm recovery effort by libraries along the Gulf Coast, FEMA has reclassified libraries as essential public services, thereby qualifying them for immediate federal and local aid should a disaster strike again.
 
Libraries have been built back better. As a result of exposure to new ideas about contemporary library service, library planners along the Gulf Coast were able to improve their facilities, collections, and service programs.
 
Access to technology and an improved technology infrastructure ensures that people using Gulf Coast libraries can get the information they need. The libraries replaced damaged computers, expanded access to computers by using laptops, and developed more efficient methods for handling PC access by the public.
 
In addition there were a number of qualitative outcomes associated with this project.

• Increased leadership capacity at the local level
• Improved advocacy skills
• Increased awareness of contemporary library practices
• Increased collaboration among libraries
• Greater understanding about fund-raising and the need for a mix of public and private support
• Overall improvement in Gulf Coast Libraries Project area libraries from the pre-storm state

The project worked in the following parishes and counties.