Tens of Thousands of Books Damaged or Destroyed by the Recent Flood in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia
At the end of this July, the river Iya in the Russian region of Irkutsk Oblast has risen by 14 meters (46 feet). Other rivers of the Angara river basin have risen as well, killing 25 and displacing thousands of people.
However, besides the human lives, there’s a different tragedy. A lot of property was damaged, including multiple regional libraries. Preliminary data shows that at least 9 libraries have suffered during the flood:
Nizhneudinsky District
1. Alygdzher Rural Library
11.135 books are wholly destroyed. Damage to furniture, flooring, and walls.
2. Katarbey Rural Library
13.626 books are damaged. Partial damage to furniture, flooring, ceiling, and walls.
3. Porog Rural Library
8.003 books damaged.
4. Central Children’s Library of Nizhneudinsk
Building flooded but there’s still no information on the state of the library’s collection of 83.324 books.
Tayshetsky District
5. Shitkino Municipal Library
Damage to furniture, flooring, etc. Books not damaged.
6. Zarechensk Municipal Library
No data yet.
7. Rozhdestvensk Municipal Library
The water stayed at a 50-cm level here, all the books on the lower shelves were destroyed or heavily damaged.
Tulunsky District
8. Evdokimovsky Rural Library
Substantial damage to the collection of 6.085 and facilities.
9. Oktyabrsky Rural Library
Damage to 7.129 books and facilities.
If You Want to Help
Please send books to the address of the Irkutsk Molchanov-Sibirsky Science Library: Russia 664033 Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast, ul. Lermontova 253 with a note: For the recovery of Irkutsk Oblast libraries (Для восстановления фондов библиотек Иркутской области).
You may also reach out to the chief of the Irkutsk Molchanov-Sibirsky Science Library, Larisa Suleymanova.
Of course, Russian-language books are preferred, but as there are children’s libraries affected and adults read foreign-language books, other languages may be welcome as well.
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