Tsunami affected Libraries in Sri Lanka CDNLAO Newsletter 52

The tsunami tidal wave that hit Sri Lanka on 26 December 2004 destroyed a large proportion of the infrastructure including a number of libraries and information centers located on the coastal belt of the country.

According to available data 178 schools, 57 local government complexes and 52 places of religious worship have either been destroyed or severely damaged. Four universities and 13 vocational training institutes were also damaged. Libraries were located in almost all of the affected buildings/institutions. Besides such libraries a large number of private/home libraries located in the affected areas were also destroyed.

The entire library building washed away by tsunami in Baticaloa, Sri Lanka

The entire research wealth of the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA), with research data on aquatic resources spanning over twenty-five years has been washed away. The maritime museum located in the southern city of Galle, which housed the artifacts found from under sea archeological excavations was destroyed with the waves taking the artifacts back to the sea. The library of the Port Authority in Galle is another research library that perished from the tragedy.

Seventy-four schools were fully damaged while 104 schools were partially damaged. The majority of these school libraries were small and medium sized, while a few had large libraries with ICT facilities. Some of these libraries had been built only a couple of years back with the help of a concessionary loan received from a multi-national donor agency. In addition 282 schools in the neighbouring areas were used as refugee centres to accommodate the people affected by the tsunami. Most of theses temporary camps have been cleared now. The cost of the restoration work in the education sector is estimated US$132.8 million.

The number of public libraries affected by the tidal wave was 57. A few main public libraries and 12 branch libraries have been completely destroyed in the western, southern and eastern coast. Most of these public libraries catered to the special economic interest groups living on the coastal belt. Deep sea-fishing, inland fresh water fishing, fish farming, ornamental fish rearing, fibre-glass boat building, coir industry, coconut industry, tourism, textiles, food and beverages including bakeries, rice mills, carpentry and pottery are some of the economic activities which thrived in the affected areas. Public libraries in these areas were geared to cater to interest groups in the locality by developing special collections and information services.

As indicated earlier most of the books and other library material were destroyed by the tsunami. The tidal wave generated such a force that destroyed library buildings and washed away books, furniture and equipment. It was not simply seawater coming into libraries and affecting the material. In conventional flood situations people usually have time to take some remedial actions to save at least a part of the library collection. As Sri Lanka had never experienced a tsunami previously (the historical record shows a tsunami situation in Sri Lanka about 1500 years ago) and since there was no pre-warning system similar to the one in the Pacific Ocean countries the result was devastating.

Inside view of the Ahangama public library after the tidal wave.

The National Library and Documentation Services Board with the help of the Sri Lanka Library Association and UNESCO formed the Sri Lanka Disaster Management Committee of Library Services and Archives (SLDMC of LISA) to take possible action on the situation. On the invitation of the NLDSB Dr Susanne Ornager, of the UNESCO Delhi Office visited Sri Lanka to assess the situation. The SLDMC of LISA submitted a project proposal to UNESCO for immediate assistance, which is currently under consideration.

All affected schools have now been taken over for restoration by international organisations, private sector organisations and individuals. It has also been decided to build modern libraries in these schools. These new school library and resource centres will consist of paper based, audio-visual and electronic library material with the necessary facilities. All the libraries will have Internet facilities as well. Based on the student population the library buildings will be of three types, e.g. 750, 1,000 and 1,500 square feet.

The SLDMC of LISA has set up 10 task forces to handle different activities of the library sector in the tsunami-affected areas. These task forces consist of senior library professionals and some of the areas of concentration will be library building plans, public library sector, school library sector, ICT application, training and twinning. The task forces are expected to advise the authorities.

There is a slow recovery in the public library sector. Recently the government allocated funds to rebuild local government complexes including public libraries in the affected areas. The government has also decided to relocate a number of coastal towns and communities away from the seacoast. This will result in a need to build a large number of new public libraries. In addition to the conventional libraries a large number of Vishva Gnana Kendras (Global knowledge Centres) will also be set up. These ICT centres will provide telephone, fax, Internet and e-mail facilities.

As an interim relief measure the NLDSB distributed books and other reading material to the refugee camps and the libraries in the affected areas. The Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association, the Sri Lanka Library Association and authors also provided books and reading materials.

Sri Lanka will need an estimated US$3.5 billion to recover from the tsunami disaster. Priority will be given to providing housing and other basic infrastructure facilities. The NLDSB and the library community will do its utmost to develop a modern library and information network in place of destroyed libraries.

Public libraries in Sri Lanka affected by Tsunami waves (Preliminary Survey)

http://www.natlib.lk/lib_map.htm