Observations of Ground Zero: From the Outside

Abstract

SUMMARY Walking into what remains of one of the state's largest public libraries and finding no indication a library was ever there is indescribable. Walls, tables, and shelving gone. No sign of a book, a magazine, a computer, or a video found. Only the terrazzo floors, battered support columns, and a stiff summer breeze blowing unrestricted where large windows once offered spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico remain. Helping libraries cope with such a disaster is the purpose of this article. The observations and conclusions are those of an outsider looking in, a much safer, but not necessarily wiser, place.