Joint Statement by the
Boards of
Council
of State Archivists (CoSA)
National
Association of Government Archives and Records Administrators
(NAGARA)
Society
of American Archivists (SAA)
Chief
Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA)
Members of CoSA, NAGARA, and SAA are overwhelmed by
the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. As archivists we are, of course,
concerned about the collections. But first and foremost, we are concerned
for our friends and colleagues, as we are for all the people whose lives
have been affected.
It is difficult to comprehend the scale of the damage. How can anyone
plan for a disaster that completely destroys the surrounding infrastructure?
Those of us in the rest of the country cannot know how to respond. Without
reliable communications, we don't know what's needed. But we know that
people need food, water, and shelter immediately.
The Boards of CoSA, NARAGA, SAA, and COSLA are encouraging their members
to support all those whose lives have been affected by Katrina by making
a contribution to the charity of their choice. For a list of charities,
see the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s website at http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadonations.shtm
[note: this link is no longer active] . Many of these charities already
have people on the scene and have the experience to distribute help
where it's needed most.
In the future, we hope to learn more about specific ways we can help
our colleagues care for their collections. We will keep you informed.
Members who would like to be added to a hurricane-response volunteer
list for future efforts may submit their names using a form on the SAA
website (http://www.archivists.org/news/hurricane-volunteer.asp).
We will make this list available to archival institutions so that they
can contact volunteers directly. At this time, it is impossible to predict
when, or if, volunteers might be contacted for help.
September 2, 2005
