Sunday update

Hi all--

Sorry I've been absent of late. My goal of posting daily was probably overly-optimistic, but I'll get on here as much as possible.

Want to address Nancy's concerns: the Wed. call-ins were unclear. We mgrs were unclear on them, too. We don't want staff penalized because of confusion, so don't worry. Our goal with staffing is still to keep everybody working and paid.

I was in the library for a long time yesterday. NOBODY can be in there now without proper safety equipment--that means a full respirator (not just a paper mask), gloves, and if possible, hazmat suits. I will be there again today to help with removal of all the art works (Fire & Ice, Land Wave, etc.) So will Jeff & possibly Dee. Almost all our art--including Z collection--is being taken to Detroit for assessment & treatment. The bronze sculpture out front, stained glass window & children's mural will remain to be worked on on-site.

There's been a LOT of confusion over the status of materials inside the building. I realize I've contributed to that confusion, but all we can do is rely on the word of experts, and that sometimes changes day to day. Our goal originally was to get all non-soaked materials out & cleaned up for use. The hazardous conditions inside the building prevented that. Every day makes those hazards worse as mold grows, etc. We are just coming to realize the extent of the hazards in there. Toxins in both the water and the air are very serious. At this point, nothing downstairs is salvagable (btw, the antique maps on the wall have been salvaged; no word on condition.) The latest word is that the children's collection, although dry, will need to be de-contaminated before using. We are not to remove ANYTHING from the building until further notice, with the exception of the computer servers (special dispensation for those.)

The city has hired a team called Adjustors International to guide the financial side of our recovery efforts. This is a prudent step, because errors in documentaiton, etc., can keep us from being able to collect our FEMA money. You will hear a lot about AI in days to come. They are working with every city department.

One word of caution from them: if you are approached & asked questions by insurance people, FEMA people, etc--refer them to AI. We don't want to jeopardize our funding.

I have to put in a plug for the City here. Working more closely with the city now, I have been VERY impressed with how they are handling this crisis. They are actually ahead of the schedule normally expected in disasters in terms of cleanup, calling in help, etc. The library has been completely included in all their plans from the beginning. In fact, our building & the Paramount are at the top of the list, because of our valuable assets.

I hear nothing but GREAT reports about how our staff is working out with other departments during this confusion. I want to thank you all for your flexibility & hard work. Our employees are in great demand in other departments now--so clearly you're representing the library extremely well.

Organization is still difficult without working phones & computers. The number of minor (& major) snags we keep running into is staggering. I know you probably wonder what we're doing over there in Famous Footwear. Aside from trying to keep our own spirits up, we're working on stuff we never thought we'd work on--like how we're going to format all-staff schedules, how we can document staff hours and overtime for FEMA, what properties in town are for rent & might make a good temporary library, how to handle purchasing in the absence of all normal purchasing rules, whether we can impose upon Marion yet again to house one more thing for us, etc. Nothing we normally deal with is normal any more, either.

We all grieve for what we've lost. I hope we can all also try to look forward to what will be a better future for the library. I'm very proud to work with you all.
Tam