LIBRARIES IN ACTION DURING WINTER STORM
URI By Michele Chan Santos
Across Texas beginning on Valentine’s Day weekend, 2021, a massive winter storm plunged the state into chaos: freezing temperatures, icy roads, power outages, water breaks and food shortages. Many people had no power, heat or water in their homes for days, and some communities continue to suffer with no water, weeks after the storm has ended. Texas librarians and libraries across the state opened their doors and hearts to help those in need. Hundreds of libraries helped by opening as warming shelters and distributing water and food. Here are some examples of how libraries continued to offer support to their communities during the recent winter storm. Thank you to all the librarians in Texas who have helped their residents and patrons during and after the winter storm!
At the University of Texas at San Antonio, the John Peace Library became a warming station for UTSA students, faculty and staff in need of a place to warm up, recharge their phones and laptops or access Wi-Fi service. “With my good fortune, my staff and I designated our main library, JPL, to be a community warming station. Some of my staff and I are sleeping here and will be here until Friday at midnight,” said Dean Hendrix, Dean of Libraries at UTSA.
100 | Texas Library Journal SPRING 2021
