USM Gulf Coast Library Restoration from Hurricane Katrina HURRICANE KATRINA EMERGENCY GRANT

FAIN: PC-50004-06

University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001)
Kay Wall (Project Director: October 2005 to December 2006)

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) maintains its library collections at three separate campus locations in Hattiesburg, Ocean Springs, and Long Beach. The USM Gulf Coast Library at the Long Beach campus contains monographs and special collections in paper and film formats. Since 1992, USM has had a Disaster Response Action Team (DRAT) that conducts regular drills and training based on a collections disaster preparedness plan. Days before the hurricane, the DRAT was activated and carried out many activities that included moving selected collections away from windows and pre-positioning plastic sheeting in storage areas. When staff gained limited access to the Gulf Coast Library, which sustained flooding on the first floor, and started a generator to regain control of the temperature and relative humidity, they discovered a mold outbreak in the collections. Following an assessment by DRAT and an architect, the decision was made to use a well-known library disaster recovery service to relocate the collections and begin stabilizing the environment by removing shelving, carpet, and some sheet rock walls. The service contractor is also providing a freeze method to dry and recover materials designated by the team for salvage. The contractor's estimate for its services is $110,000.