[Libs-Or] [Fwd: Sichuan earthquake damages to libraries]

Tue Aug 19 16:21:04 PDT 2008

I am posting this message on behalf of Frances Lau, the Far Eastern 
director at Blackwell's Book Services. Please send any inquiries to her 
email:  Frances.Lau at blackwell.com.

Althea Pribyl
Serials/Electronic Resources Cataloging
Portland State University Library
Portland, Oregon 97207-1151

(503) 725-4550
apribyl at pdx.edu

Dear all,

You may be interested in reading the email following mine. If you know 
of anyone who is willing to donate funds to help to rebuild the Chinese 
libraries, please feel free to forward the email to them.

Best wishes,

Frances

Frances Lau

Blackwell

Director, Library Services, Far East

6024 Jean Road, Building G, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Phone: +1 503-638-0133

Fax:     +1 503-638-8825

www.blackwell.com <http://www.blackwell.com/>

www.blackwell.com/chinese/ <http://www.blackwell.com/chinese/>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Sally Tseng [mailto:sctseng888 at yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 11:30 AM
To: CALA
Subject: [calalist] Article in American Libraries on Chinese Earthquake 
& CALA Task Force on Rebuilding Chinese Libraries

Dear CALA Members and Friends:

In the August 2008 issue, p. 24, of the American Libraries published a 
very touching article entitled, "Libraries Toppled in Devastating 
Chinese Earthquake".  Thanks to Mr. Gordon Flagg, Managing editor, 
American Libraries, for his permission for us to share the online 
version with you. 

The URL for the online version of the story is 
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2008/may2008/sichuanchinaearthquake.cfm  
I included the full text at the end of this message for your reference.

Dr. ShaLi Zhang, CALA President, appoints a CALA Task Force on 
Rebuilding Libraries in the Earthquake Disastrous Areas in China.  We 
are working diligently on our charges:

v     Assist CALA President issuing Press Release.

v     Raise funds from donors and foundations committed to rebuild 
libraries in the disastrous earthquake areas in China.

v     Send official acknowledgement and receipt to each donor.

v     Work with the Library Society of China (LSC), some provincial 
libraries, and other related organizations on helping the rebuilding 
efforts.

v     Send periodical updates to you and/or related organizations.

v     Manage and distribute the funds and other resources to libraries 
and injured library workers, etc. 

As of today, we have over 150 donors.  We sincerely thank you for your 
generous support .  Every donors will receive a CALA "Thank You Letter" 
and an official "Receipt" for your donation toward this good cause.

CALA is an IRS 501 (c) (3) Non-profit organization and donations to CALA 
are tax deductible. Our tasks will have long term projects.  CALA 
continues to accept donations to the CALA China Earthquake Libraries 
Rebuild Fund. Donations can be made by check payable to CALA and mailed to:

Dr. Shuyong Jiang, CALA Treasurer
Chinese American Librarians Association
P.O. Box 2733
Champaign, IL 61825

Donors can also donate via CALA's PayPal account. Please visit our 
Website at: http://www.cala-web.org/forms/earthquakedonation.htm and 
click on the button "Donate".

We thank you for your continuing support.  We also welcome receiving 
suggestions.

Best wishes,

Sally C. Tseng
CALA Honorary Executive Director, and Chair
CALA Task Force on Rebuilding Libraries in the Earthquake Disastrous 
Areas in China

P.O. Box 4992, Irvine, CA 92616-4992
Phone: 949-552-5615

Email: sctseng888 at yahoo.com <mailto:sctseng888 at yahoo.com>

The URL for the online version of the story is 
http://www.ala.org/ala/alonline/currentnews/newsarchive/2008/may2008/sichuanchinaearthquake.cfm

Full text of the article in the American Libraries , August 2008 issue, 
p. 24

Libraries Toppled in Devastating Chinese Earthquake

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Sichuan Province in western 
China on the afternoon of May 12 killed more than 40,000 people and left 
another 5 million homeless. In the week after the quake, the Library 
Society of China posted information on damage to libraries in the region 
on its Chinese-language website.

The library building in Beichuan County collapsed, burying five staff 
members under the debris, but all were rescued after being trapped for 
more than 70 hours. Marcia Zeng, professor at the Kent State University 
School of Library and Information Science, posted an account of the 
rescue on professional discussion lists: "The team which rescued Li Chun 
had to launch three actions because of the still-falling bricks and 
worked two-plus hours nonstop with their bare hands and used a small 
knife to cut through the wood pieces around her." The Library Society of 
China reported that Li Chun was recovering in Huaxi Hospital in Chengdu.

The Sichuan Provincial Library in Chengdu, the capital of the province, 
consists of a reading building, storage building, and office building. 
Although the facility suffered collapsed bookshelves, fallen ceilings 
and bricks, and broken windows, no patrons or staff were injured.

Sichuan Province has 21 city libraries, most in the larger, 
prefecture-level cities. The city libraries in Mianyang and Guangyuan 
are seriously damaged, as is the Chotian regional library in Guangyuan 
city. Those in Neijiang, Meishan, Zhuning, Nanchong, Ya'an, and Ziyang 
(which was newly built) reported cracked walls. At the Mianyang city 
library, one staff member suffered a leg injury.

The prefecture-level city of Guang'an has six libraries; although all 
reported some damage, no one was injured. Guang'an is the hometown of 
Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping; at the library named after him, the 
electricity and water supplies were cut off, the central air 
conditioning was leaking, and 12 computers and two elevators were damaged.

In the county-level city of Mianzhu, the library walls were partially 
collapsed, but all 10 staff members were safe.

The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Gansu Province near Inner 
Mongolia. On May 19 the Gansu Province Library Association telephoned 17 
libraries in the earthquake zone and learned that four library buildings 
were severely damaged, six library buildings had less-serious cracks, 
and the other library buildings were untouched. The staff of all 17 
libraries were safe, although two library workers' homes were damaged.

The most serious damage in Gansu Province was reported at the Wei County 
library, where the building was unusable after its foundation sank 
between one and three stories. One staff member's house was severely 
damaged.

Cracks were reported at the libraries in Wen, Li, Cheng, Dangchang, 
Xihe, and Lianglang counties.

In the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southern Gansu Province, 
the library buildings in Zhouqu, Tai'an, and Diebu counties suffered 
cracks. In Tianshua city library, some bookshelves collapsed but the 
building escaped damage. Also escaping damage were the libraries in 
Wushan and Gangu counties and the Maiji regional library.

The Chinese American Librarians Association has set up a website for 
donations to support earthquake recovery efforts in China.  Posted on 
May 21, 2008.

Updated by Sally Tseng on August 18, 2008:

The magnitude of the deadliest earthquakes on May 12, 2008 were measured 
at 8.0 on the Richter scale which did massive destructions to the 
region, including 69,200 death tolls with 18,195 persons still missing; 
374,216 were injured; over 15 million people lived in the hard hit 
areas, and tens of thousands of buildings collapsed or completely 
ruined, including libraries, archives, and museums.

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