From: Judy Farrar <jfarrar@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: htglasser@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Fwd: [NEAdiscuss] An update on the Amistad Research Center at
Tulane in New Orleans
Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 10:10:56 -0400
My colleague, Bridgette Kelly, archivist at the UCC Headquarters in
Cleveland sent this to me today and I thought it worth passing on to the
community:
Greetings,
I just got off the phone with Brenda Square, Director of Archives &
Library at the Amistad Research Center (ARC). Just two weeks ago I
was down in New Orleans for the Society of American Archivists' annual
meeting, and I met up with Brenda for a tour of their facility. She
happened to give me her cell phone number in case I needed to contact her
while I was down there.
Proof that God does work in mysterious ways. The ARC is located in
Tilton Hall on the campus of Tulane University.
Here is the news from Brenda:
Friday (8/26), Brenda encouraged the staff at the ARC to heed the
advice of evacuating. They exchanged phone numbers so they could contact
one another should the need arise. Mr. Hampton, the ARC's Executive
Director, was out of town on other business, so Brenda was sure he was
safe.
Saturday (8/27), Brenda was at the ARC taking down their art exhibit to
put the works in storage, and moving items to the second floor. She said
that thankfully, over the past few years they have been moving important,
vital records and collections to the second floor. "The off-site storage
is up high," Brenda said.
Sunday (8/28), Brenda made her way to a friend's house in Baton
Rouge where they rode out Katrina. She mentioned that she saw Sandra
Wallace on the highway as they were both leaving town.
Wednesday (8/31), Brenda was able to access the internet at a local
university campus. She was able to read Tulane's emergency web site
updates through that day, and that is all she knows about the status
of Tulane and the ARC.
I talked to Brenda this morning and just a little bit ago at 4:45pm.
She is still unable to reach any of her staff by phone, and has not
heard any updates on Tulane or the ARC. I am acting as a point person for
her attempting to contact some of the staff, keeping track of Tulane's
updates, and keeping Brenda informed as much as I can. I have tried to
reach Mr. Hampton on his cell phone, but as general news updates show, the
504 area code is giving the "all circuits are busy" recording. As of this
afternoon, Brenda and her family are on their way to her oldest son's
house in Dallas.
I said I would keep trying to make contact with the people she gave
me phone numbers for, and touch base with her from time to time.
In general information, if you would like to keep track of how
Tulane University is faring, you may access their emergency web site at,
<http://emergency.tulane.edu>. The general synopsis is that the
university did not sustain devastating damage - downed trees, water
damage in some buildings, some roofing tiles damaged. Students were
evacuated before Katrina hit and have now been sent home. After five
days on campus, the emergency team is now in Houston, TX. Only the
bare minimum of security and facilities staff remain. Conditions in New
Orleans itself make it very difficult to begin recovery effort. The main
priorities now are, 1. support staff left in New Orleans; 2. re-establish
communications with constituencies ASAP; 3. begin the recovery process.
Brenda's final comments before we hung up were, "Thank you all for
your prayers. Please continue to keep us all in your prayers."
Sincerely,
Bridgette
------------------------------
Jessica Steytler - archivist
Congregational Library
14 Beacon St. Boston MA 02108
617 523 0470 x234
jsteytler@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Judy Weinland Farrar
Archives and Special Collections Librarian
University Library
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
Phone (508) 999-8686
Fax (508) 999-8987