Like many cities, the City of New Orleans is “self-insured,” but the Katrina calamity left the City with insufficient revenue to fund rebuilding. In time FEMA will reimburse the City for up to 90% of the cost to repair its libraries and purchase new books, discs, and equipment.

The FEMA process could take years, however, drastically limiting New Orleans families’ access to books, discs, computers, and the Internet -- holding back children’s education, confounding adults’ efforts to rebuild their lives, and preventing everyone from gaining the solace that books provide.

Until Katrina, the New Orleans Public Library Foundation quietly and effectively managed gifts and bequests made in support of the Library. Income from the investment of gifts was used primarily to support book acquisitions.

After Katrina, trustees of the Foundation faced up to the challenge of rebuilding ruined libraries. Rather than wait, the Foundation initiated a campaign to rebuild and improve New Orleans’ libraries. The long-term goal is not merely a “return to normal,” but a model urban library system for New Orleans’ 21st century.

The New Orleans Public Library Foundation was founded in 1990 to support the Library by managing gifts made by private individuals, companies, and foundations. It is an educational, charitable non-profit organization under IRS Section 501c3 (Tax ID number 72-1179236). It is governed by a board of trustees composed of the members of the NOPL Board of Directors, several community leaders, and the Library Director ex officio.

3/18/2008