It's a perfect example of the power of social media.
On Wednesday, I saw a message on Facebook from a friend who runs our region's Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators group. The Wells Memorial Library in Upper Jay, NY, in the heart of the Adirondack High Peaks, had lost its entire children's book collection to flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene over the weekend. Although many areas that prepared for hurricane damage dodged the bullet, as is now known, in the Adirondacks, the Mohawk Valley, and Vermont, many towns have been devastated.
Author Kate Messner, who lives in the area, had started an effort to get donations of new children's hardcover books and funds to buy more. Kate's blog post showing photos of the damage like the photo at left quickly spread across Facebook, blogs and email lists. On Thursday, it was tweeted by authors John Scalziand Neil Gaiman. NPR picked up on it.
Kate has already set up a fund with a bookstore in the area. You can donate funds to a gift card that will be presented to the library. And if you're in the area in October, Kate is helping to organize a fundraiser that will include a raffle of original children's book artwork.
Kate has also started adding information for other libraries affected by the aftermath of the hurricane last week, including the West Hartford Public Library in Vermont. It's likely that other libraries will be added as well.
If you'd like to help, visit Kate's blog for details and updates. You can support libraries and the children's book community at the same time.
And be amazed and grateful at the power of one woman and a little social media.
UPDATE: In addition to the Adirondacks, libraries in New York's Mohawk River Valley and in Vermont lost large parts of their collections to flooding. A list of libraries that could use monetary donations to refill their shelves once clean-up is over can be found on LibraryThing.
