NFAIS Members' Response to Katrina

NFAIS MEMBERS RESPONDS TO HURRICANE DEVASTATION. 
Add Your Institution to the Growing List of those Providing Similar Support

Members of the NFAIS community have generously responded to the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina by providing support for the individuals who were impacted as well as for the library infrastructure and the institutions that they serve. To date, the following members have notified NFAIS headquarters of their activities:

CSA

CSA has collected items to be given to survivors who are being housed in the Washington, DC area. They are working with the American Library Association (ALA) to create a fund that will be used to help rebuild the affected library infrastructure, and they will also donate equipment to the affected area. In addition, CSA has taken steps to support the specific institutions that they serve by providing options for continued data access. For more details on CSA’s initiatives, go to: http://info.csa.com/katrina/. Also, if you wish to join CSA in their efforts, particularly with regard to the ALA fund, contact Patrick Julius ( pjulius@csa.com) who will put connect you with the appropriate people.

Elsevier

Elsevier is matching employee donations to qualified organizations up to $25,000.  The matching funds from the company will go to the Katrina Red Cross relief fund.

The J. Paul Getty Trust

The Getty Foundation is supporting efforts by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to assemble teams with expertise in architecture, construction, history and preservation to travel to assess damages to historic buildings, neighborhoods and communities. In addition, the National Trust and its partners are working with federal, state and local governments to develop and refine tools to facilitate reconstruction and help prevent future disasters of this kind. Finally, the National Trust with the support of the Getty will embark on an educational initative regarding the historical resources of New Orleans and the importance of their preservation.

LexisNexis

LexisNexis Group employees have donated $138,000 as of September 14th to assist hurricane survivors. The funds have come from employees around the world – Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, the UK and, of course, the USA. The company itself has donated significant funds the American Red Cross Katrina Disaster Relief Fund and to Habitat for Humanity for their rebuilding efforts. LexisNexis also has undertaken initiatives to help legal professionals restore their businesses and practices - including the complimentary replacement of damaged print products for current customers, and is providing assistance to law students affected by the hurricane, providing free course books to all displaced students. For more details on LexisNexis’ assistance initiatives, go to: http://www.lexisnexis.com/about/katrina.asp.

In addition, with regard to those areas affected by Hurricane Rita, LexisNexis is ready to enact a disaster recovery action plan for its legal industry customers in the affected regions. While we are all hoping for a minimal impact on the region, LexisNexis is preparing to provide thorough business recovery and continuance services in the case of a severe hit.

Much as LexisNexis has done – and continues to do – for those affected by Hurricane Katrina, LexisNexis is prepared to assist Gulf Coast law firms, legal practitioners and legal researchers in the steps to be taken in order to rebuild their businesses. Details on interim locations and how LexisNexis will be assisting affected businesses will be released as they become available."

ProQuest Company

ProQuest and its associates have, as of September 7th, contributed more than $10,000 directly to the American Red Cross. In addition, ProQuest company has pledged $1 million in Voyager Learning’s reading and math instructional materials in support of the children affected by hurricane Katrina. In addition, complimentary 4-month subscriptions to Reading A-Z and RazKids books are available to any educator serving students impacted by the disaster, and complimentary access to its newspaper databases is being provided to the Houston Public Library and Harris County Libraries. For more details, go to: http://proquestcompany.com/investor2/pdf/PQEKatrinaResponse.pdf

Techbooks Information Publishing Group

Parent company Techbooks is matching employee contributions to Katrina relief efforts.

U.S. General Printing Office (GPO)

The U.S. General Printing Office is offering employment to hurricane victims who have been relocated to the DC area. The GPO has a limited number of immediate temporary short-term assignments available and has extended those opportunities to Hurricane Katrina victims through the DC Armory's Job Fair.

GPO employees have also organized a fundraising drive to collect funds to reach those in need. In addition, several GPO employees serving in the DC National Guard are currently providing assistance in the devastated regions. Full press release here.

Note: If your organization is doing similar work, please contact Jill O’Neill, Director of Communication and Planning (215-893-1561 phone; jilloneill@nfais.org) and let us know. NFAIS will be widely publicizing the efforts of its memberships with regard to their response to this unfortunate disaster.

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