The California State Library is collecting information about fire impact on libraries in southern California. Check the CSL blog for updates.
From Anna Tatar, Library Director, San Diego Public Library, October 23, 2007:
11 of our libraries are closed, none damaged by the fire (hopefully that will hold until all of this is contained.) This information is posted on our website and the city fire alert webpage. As you can imagine this has been very tough. We sent hundreds of children's books to the main evacuation center here in the city at Qualcomm stadium. We have decided that it is important to keep our libraries open so the only libraries closed are ones in areas where the community is being evacuated and those libraries that are impacted by very poor air quality. The staff has been great--even with the existing staffing levels, 20 of our employees have volunteered to work with the Red Cross. These fires are having a significantly higher impact than the fires of about 4 years ago. I hope the other cities in the state survived with no damage to their libraries although I guess it is still too soon to know how we come out of all of this.
From Ed Kieczykowski, County Librarian, San Bernardino County Library, October 23, 2007:
Parts of Lake Arrowhead and our Running Springs Community have been hard hit- I think they have lost about 250 homes.- not enough resources to fight the fire. They are making stand near the business district of Running Springs where our Library is.
From Jose Aponte, Library Director, San Diego County Library, October 23, 2007:
Seven libraries closed tomorrow: all branches closed today to regroup.
Closed tomorrow Portrero, Valley Center, Del Mar, Ramona, Fallbrook, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch. We are trying to establish contact with Julian staff.
We lost the Monument sign at Portero and while the building is covered in ashes staff report it is appears cosmetic no infrastructure damage.
We will know more as they let folks back into the evacuated areas.
Many staff effected by evacuations.