HAM-TMC Library Recovery Efforts

The Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library was one of the many Texas Medical Center institutions affected by Tropical Storm Allison. Although there was very little rain around the Texas Medical Center during the early evening hours Friday, June 8, a decision was made to close the library an hour early, at 8 p.m., to ensure that staff and students would be able to drive home safely.

At 2:30 a.m., the security guard at the Jesse H. Jones Library Building called the Director of Library Operations to report that there were approximately three inches of water in the street level of the library, which contained the offices of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region; the library's Systems Department; the computer lab and classroom; teleconferencing center; library storage and operations; and unfortunately, the archives of the John P. McGovern Historical Collections and Research Center. By 3 a.m., the street level was under four feet of water.

Library management was able to get to the library by 8 a.m. Saturday to find the street level filled with water and raw sewage. The water level in Parking Garage 3, under the library and where the library's van was parked, was at the top of the ramp.

The Texas Medical Center already had commercial pumps working, but it would take at least four days to pump all the water out. The street level of the library was at "squish-level" by early Sunday morning, as loyal staff members came to help try to save materials in the archives. There was no electricity or air conditioning, so this was a very unpleasant task. Munters Moisture Control Services was contacted and arrived with generators and huge fans to help air out the library and its belongings.

Library staff returned on Monday, June 11 to help with rescue and cleanup efforts, along with volunteers from other TMC institutions who could not enter their offices due to the flooding.

Many local archivists volunteered to help, in order to gain valuable experience and to help preserve the medical community's heritage.

Salvage continued for ten days, but thanks to the staff at the Houston Academy of Medicine/Harris County Medical Society, who own the building, and the library's Systems staff, the library opened with limited hours on June 14. Due to security and safety factors, regular hours were not resumed until July 16.

About one-fourth of the McGovern Center's manuscripts, hospital newsletters, and personal papers were soaked by the floodwaters. The damaged materials included the papers of Dr. Sam Nixon, Dr. R. Lee Clark, Dr. Ernst Knobil, and Dr. Joseph Melnick. The records from the Medical Arts Hospital were completely destroyed. The historical videos and audiotapes are being sent to a professional company for restoration and transfer to new media. In all, 800 boxes of documents, journals, reference and historical books were sent for freeze-drying. The library staff will not know until later this summer what can be salvaged from these boxes or what will need to be replaced or discarded.

All staff members previously housed on the street level have been given new space on other floors, causing many to double-up in offices or even at desks. Staff cooperation has been the highlight of this experience.

Although the library is open, public access computers have been reduced to one-third the number that existed before the storm. Computers are now dedicated solely for patient care and medical research. Due to popular demand, the library has made a few computers available for people to check e-mail, although there is now a ten-minute limit on these computers.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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