Thank you so much for keeping our story alive.

I also agree with both of you that some areas just should not be rebuilt, no matter how sentimental, historic, whatever, they are. After the Floods of ‘93 and subsequent floodings, things aren’t being rebuilt and returned to ‘natural’ state in an effort to mitigate damages from future flooding.

In all honesty… urban sprawl will be our downfall. We need to build up, not out. Make a smaller footprint. But, we’ve become so conditioned on the ‘American dream’ of owning a few acres and a detached home.

“What is the best way to help New Orleans Public Library?

Monetary donations are the best way to help the library rebuild (NOPL Foundation Rebuilding Campaign Donations). If you would rather mail your donation, please make your check payable to NOPL Foundation and send it to New Orleans Public Library Foundation, 219 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112.

What are other good ways to support NOPL?

Our library is also selling “Rebuild NOPL” T-shirts (link here to buy a T-shirt online) and bookplates (to purchase bookplates, contact Kim Tran (ktran@gno.lib.la.us).

Does the library accept book donations?

Yes. However, due to storage and staff limitations, we ask that donors consider a few suggestions:

If you are a publisher, please contact us in advance at wmascari@gno.lib.la.us before shipping large quantities of books.

If you are an individual sending your own used books, please consider making a cash donation instead.
I have already collected a great many books for NOPL (or we would like to organize a book drive for NOPL), but I don’t want to cause a burden to the library system by sending a large shipment of books. What should I do?

Consider holding a booksale in your city to benefit our library and sending us the proceeds. This saves you the expense of shipping costs, eliminates storage and staffing problems on our end, enables library staff to purchase those materials that are most needed, and helps to generate additional publicity about NOPL’s needs. “
From Donations to NOPL FAQ

Perhaps.
I sincerely hope so.

iowa christine, I think you are right, I agree (if that is what you are suggesting) that there are some areas that should not be rebuilt, no matter how big they make the levees and I’m sorry for the people who lived in those places, understand their attachment, but how many times can we pay to rebuild in a place where we never should have built to begin with? definition of insanity, anyone?

doctorj, Levee Boards are STILL useless, Sen Boasso’s bill was a good move in the right direction, but I think they ought to do away with the Levee Boards completely, have a professional-based (NO political appointments, please!) State agency for flood protection and coastal restoration, same level as DOTD, DEQ, etc. Also, I don’t think ALL design was done by USACE, although they reviewed and approved everything … didn’t Modjeski & Masters do the design on the walls at 17th St Canal? I thought there were some contract engineering firms involved in some of the design work. Anyway, yeah, bad designs, also bad construction the St Bernard levees were mostly friggin’ SAND fer crapsakes but all that evidence washed away and the odious Odinets are still pursuing their public lives of crime or at least criminal stupidity.

We blow away 10 billion a month in Iraq for what?

I have heard from people that do some work in the NO area saying that if you were white and had insurance, you’re getting NO help from anyone and that includes FEMA.

Christine, that’s just not true. I do know white folks – my daughter and her family are one example – who have gotten FEMA help. They got their blue tarp for their roof, they got money for damage to their house, along with displacement money. Fortunately their house was not that badly damaged, and they could move back into it fairly quickly.

The ones who suffered were those whose houses were destroyed, and FEMA was slow to give the help.

In the end, I believe that some parts of Greater New Orleans will not be rebuilt and probably should not be rebuilt.

Yes, the Federal Gov’t could have done many, many things better. But, so could have the State and local Gov’ts. It’s not the sole fault of the Feds. Yes, I can agree that this ‘outsourcing’ of relief efforts is a money grab by the powers that be, whether it be Fed, State, or local. Then there’s the bureaucratic mumbojumbo put forth by the insurance companies. I have heard from people that do some work in the NO area saying that if you were white and had insurance, you’re getting NO help from anyone and that includes FEMA.

As I’ve said before, I have absolutely no problem giving a helping hand. This may include low interest loans, or small grants, etc. There were a few families that moved up here because they had other family up here, or had kids going to the university. Most of them have been very accomodating to our ways of doing things, have worked hard to re-establish themselves, and truely appreciate the help our area has given them. Then you have people like what is mentioned in the article I linked to. Which makes it extremely difficult to be sympathitic to others plight.

I remeber when Frederic went through, they were threatening to take names and next of kin if people wouldn’t get off the beach areas. That and comparisons to Camille got an awful lot of people to move north. We were lucky and got the easy side.

Another thing, I’m not sure if you’re aware of…. As a result of the Floods of ‘93 new guidelines have been made for flood plains. Most of the levees that broke then are not allowed to be rebuilt and in many areas, if they flood again, they’re being banned from being rebuilt. This is for all along the Mississippi. Ohio, and Missouri Rivers. It was my understanding that this policy was to extend all the way to the Gulf.