Blogging - ALA ...and Iowa

I have been meaning to write in my blog for a while. I don't know why I find myself blogging in spurts. Nonetheless, here I am....Amy Harmon: Occasional Blogger. :P

There are a number of entries that I've been meaning to make. I write them in my head but unfortunately I don't set them to digital format. However, I'll be writing a number of entries in the PLA Blog. So...maybe I'll get some of my other entries down now.

I just flew over the Mississippi River. I think I'm near Iowa. The river seems really swollen. I can't tell if this is anywhere near a city or if there are structures under water, etc. What is striking to me is that the Mississippi is swollen, beyond capacity. Part of my wishes to wax poetic about this new flood that our country has faced/still facing. Anthropomorphizing the river delta does not really help though. There are those that have lost everything. Since this is mainly a library blog, I'll focus on the libraries that have been affected.

Library Journal has written a great article and has a wealth of information there as well.
The State Library of Iowa is serving as an aggregate site for information here.
The Iowa Library Association has a number of first person accounts of the flood as well.

I'm half Slovak and learning that the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library was affected by the flood struck a chord with me. While there may be some areas of the country that are less likely to be effected by hurricane versus earthquake versus typhoon, there will always be those that are effected by the loss of works of importance to one's heritage and culture.

The libraries that were heavily damaged by the floods are asking for donations of money, rather than books and materials. Unfortunately, they do not have anywhere to put donated materials. Funds to pay for the remediation process are much appreciated.

Donations to the Cedar Rapids Library should be sent to the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation at 500 1st St. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401.

Donations to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Flood Relief Fund may be made at the NCSML website, at any Wells Fargo Bank location in the U.S. or by mailing a check to: National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, 30 Sixteenth Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

Donations to the New Hartford Public Library should be sent to the Friends of New Hartford Public Library, PO Box 292, New Hartford, IA 50660.

Any other places that need help?

I'm in Anaheim and will post my schedule soon.