This is the latest report from Russell Bowden on Sri Lankan Libraries.
Please regularly check the IFLA website http://www.ifla.org
<http://www.ifla.org> which includes graphic images of the current state of
some libraries - simply search under these key words: sri lanka tsunami.
Please make direct contact with the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Committee
for Libraries,Information Services and Archives [SL DMC - LISA]
[log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
if you are able to offer assistance.
Libraries completely missing
Tsunami and Sri Lanka's East Coast
27 January 2005
As bad as anything seen on the southeast coast are the results of the
tsunami on the east coast where remoteness and the sheer scale of the
damages inhibited obtaining early first-hand facts about the devastation.
After driving in two vehicles 750 kilometres in less than 48 hours across
tsunami and war-damaged highways and roads further damaged or under water
because of seasonal monsoon flooding and over bridges still under temporary
repair and visiting more than 17 library sites senior members of the Sri
Lanka Disaster Management Committee are now well-informed about the
situations of school and public libraries on the east coast. [The Chairman
and Director-General and four senior staff of the National Library and
myself, representing IFLA, undertook this heart-breaking journey.]
It must be recalled that this region, even before the tsunami struck, was
already one where destruction faced you around almost every corner with
vacant shells of houses, factories, cinemas and in Kalkudah seashore hotels
overgrown with nearly a decade of vegetation - all the results of twenty
years of fighting. Onto this has been imposed the destruction wrought by the
thirty feet high waves that in some instances penetrated two miles inland
across flat landscapes interspersed with what were picturesque lagoons. As
though this were not enough, after the tsunami struck, the full force of the
northeastern monsoon was unleashed with cyclonic conditions in the Bay of
Bengal causing more damages and suffering with roads inundated and more
bridges swept away that, had the tsunami not already set a standard for
human misery, would have been cause enough alone for concern and assistance
from the world community.
Nevertheless the general picture is of primary aid getting through with
vehicles of the Red Cross, Caritas, Save the Children, Medicins Sans
Frontieres, World Vision and of course many more from Lankan charities and
companies, and with US and Canadian soldiers working side by side with the
Lankan army (whose soldiers have performed magnificently) and Rumanian aid
workers all working together with Government agencies. Certainly talking
with people, and particularly the senior Government Agent in Batticaloa, the
Municipal Commissioner and senior education people, local government
officials looking after public libraries and principals and vice-principles
of schools basic needs of clean water, food and accommodation were
well-provided for except perhaps in the most remote communities where roads
are entirely destroyed. People are not starving. Now that basic requirements
are reasonably satisfied is the time to assist with the construction of
lives, businesses, family relations (we saw one woman - from the very
ancient Burgher community - accompanied by a few friends who refused to
leave the wreckage of her house beside the beach because she wanted to
remain there to remember her three daughters who were all drowned). What
amazes is the resilience of people to start rebuilding although faced with
nothing but wreckage (and there are entire villages on spits of land between
the lagoons (which cover much of this part of the coastline) and the sea
where not even the foundations of houses can be discovered. (On one such
spit, north of Batticaloa, in areas less than half a mile wide, there
remains in this five mile stretch not one undamaged building; roads, gardens
and foundations are unrecognizable in a wilderness of debris, sand and
destroyed trees and where alone more than 3,500 people are known to have
perished).
So - NOW is the most appropriate time for libraries and information services
to be revived to play their rightful roles in helping these courageous
people to reconstruct their communities.
Since IFLANET and the National Libraries (www.natlib.lk) sites began to
carry this information the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Committee for
Libraries, Information Services and Archives [SL DLC-LISA] has been besieged
with offers of assistance. It had not been possible then to identify what is
needed, where and in what sort of priority because of the most urgent
priority to save lives and stop epidemics (the last, fortunately, most
successfully contained). However now, with information collected from local
agencies and the DMC-LISA visits etc., in the next few days precise needs
will be very clear.
Libraries have been damaged to varying degrees. Some have only lost the
books out on loan at the time the tsunami struck and issue records will
speedily help their replacement. Others were damaged when the waves damaged
the stocks but left buildings intact and furniture dirty but undamaged. They
will be relatively easy to rehabilitate. Others are pathetic sights; for
instance that of Amirthakali Sri Sithivinayagar School's library where only
the floor and two walls remain and the books lie on the opposite side of the
road as wet, decomposing and smelling piles of paper. In another, Saint
Ignatius, only the foundations and the twisted steel of the roof remains
-
not a wall, not a chair not a book left.
Amirthakali Sri Sithivinayagar School's library
In such situations everything is required. In two place the Deputy GA
couldn't even show us the libraries' sites amongst the complete destruction
of everything where only the dying vegetation of people's gardens, holes
where the sea had gauged under the foundations and swept the concrete into
tiny pieces and where roads, walls, fences - everything - had gone to be
replaced by a desert of debris and sand.[Photo 3] Two such public libraries
sites cannot even be identified (Passekudah and Kalkudah).
People have asked "what do you want?" Although we prepared a general list of
requirements (see 10 January 'Assistance for libraries, information services
and archives in Sri Lanka') we were not in a position to specifically
advise. Now we can. However in the face of such devastation and needs we
could equally ask: "what do you want to contribute?" We can find a place for
everything.
The DMC-LISA confirms that monies are the first priority. With them we can
immediately rent temporary library accommodation whilst rebuilding takes
place: we can place work with Lankan craftsmen for shelving and equipment
and buy new books. (To be honest, with the exception of brightly and
lavishly-coloured children's books and reference materials, books in English
are likely to get little use amongst communities that read primarily Tamil
and Sinhala).
Where entire libraries (public or schools) have been destroyed we need
mobiles (the roads and bridges are being fast rehabilitated to permit aid to
get through). Books can be stocked from this end but stationery and
specialist equipment might prove to be more difficult. In line with our
policy not to simply restore or to rehabilitate but to use this tragic
opportunity to develop services we need computers, terminals etc in the
mobiles as we have been assured that electricity and telecom connections can
be provided at local stops.
The second priority we believe is to facilitate twinning or adopting a
Lankan school or public library on the basis that this would provide not
just a one-off relationship through this crisis but one that hopefully would
continue to develop after all this is over. For instance to twin a school
would permit not only help with repairs etc but also, if computer facilities
were also provided, the ability for children overseas to work together with
Lankan children which, for the traumatised here, might be very beneficial.
We are now in a position to advise if we are told what can be provided: we
will find you the correct recipient.
In short - NOW is the time to help. The immediate needs of keeping people
alive and healthy are well on-track. What is needed at this moment is help
for people to get their lives restarted. This is where library services can
be of the greatest help.
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PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM TO RESTART THEIR LIVES.
Please communicate with:
Sri Lanka Disaster Management Committee for Libraries, Information Services
and Archives [SL DMC - LISA]
Tel: 00 94 11 2687581
Fax: 00 94 11 2685201
E-mail: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
and / or with monies
To: Account - NLDSB
Number - 00 25 16 20 07 39 63
Peoples' Bank,
Park Street Branch,
Colombo
SRI LANKA.
Russell Bowden
Honorary IFLA Fellow
Kottawa
Sri Lanka
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