Iowa Flooding

Many of you may have seen the reports of tornado and flood damage in Iowa. I feel so badly for all the individuals who have suffered from the flooding in eastern and central Iowa. But the library damage made me a little ill.

Why? I used to live in Iowa City and I grew up in eastern Iowa. I graduated from the University of Iowa and I did my library practicum at the Cedar Rapids Public Library so seeing the waters inundating UI Main and CR Public think of all the fun times I had in those places. Libraries are the heart of a community so seeing such destruction impacts not just one resident, but all of them.

Libraries aren't the only organizations hit hard. The National Czech and Slovak Museum and the African-American Museum (both in Cedar Rapids) suffered horribly. The UI campus, The Science Station in CR and so many other places in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City suffered badly. The small town of New Hartford was hit not only by flooding, but was hit by the same tornado which wiped out Parkersburg.

To help the victims of Iowa's 2008 floods, go to this article about how the American Red Cross is aiding disaster victims. To find information about contributing to damaged libraries, visit the State Library of Iowa Web site.