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CHICAGO – In times of disaster libraries serve as an invaluable resource to communities in need. When areas are affected by natural disasters, the , library supporters and the community at large work to provide resources needed to help pave the way towards recovery and relief. President-Elect Loida Garcia-Febo will carry on this tradition by visiting damaged libraries in Puerto Rico from Jan. 16 – 19 and providing resources to libraries in need.

In the wake of Hurricane Maria, the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±app () is supporting library relief efforts in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and the recent earthquake in Mexico by means of its . Through its Disaster Relief Fund the has raised more than $60,000 to help support earthquake and hurricane recovery efforts.

Garcia-Febo, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, spent a significant portion of her library career there, as a school librarian at Berwind Elementary School, a special librarian at Centro de Información del Programa de Asistencia Tecnológica de Puerto Rico and an academic librarian at the University of Puerto Rico. Her family still resides in Puerto Rico and continues to deal with lack of water, power and spotty internet access.

Tour locations will include:

Jan. 16, 2018

2 p.m. - University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus Anfiteatro A-211 de la Facultad de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Rio Piedras

Contact: Lorna M. Castro, Directora Public Relations, lorna.castro@upr.edu

Jan. 17, 2018

2 p.m. – University of Puerto Rico, Humacao Campus, Avenida Jose E. Aguiar Aramburu, Carretera 908 Km 1.2, Humacao, P.R.

Contact: Iraida Cintrón, Directora Public Relations, iraida.cintron@upr.edu

Jan. 18, 2018

10 a.m. - University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus Library, Industrial Minillas 170, Carr. 174, Bayamón, PR

Contact: Vanessa Droz, Directora Public Relations, assenavzord@gmail.com needs a link

Jan. 19, 2018

12 p.m. - Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, 2250 Boulevard Luis A. Ferre Aguayo, Ponce, PR

Contact: Jalibeth Rodríguez, Directora Public Relations, jalibeth_rodriguez@pucpr.edu

REFORMA (the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and Spanish Speakers) President Tess Tobin will join Garcia-Febo during the tours. Both Garcia-Febo and Tobin will share their experiences via social media. Garcia-Febo also will share tour highlights with ’s American Libraries magazine upon her return to the states.

has been in contact with the University of Puerto Rico Library, the Library Society of Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rican chapter of REFORMA (the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and Spanish Speakers), which Garcia-Febo served as president in 2009-2010. REFORMA has launched a disaster relief taskforce to help libraries in Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, chapters in Florida and Texas have taken the lead on recovery efforts in those states. Currently is accepting donations to support library relief efforts at . The also offers a list of resources for dealing with natural disasters at .

For more information on ’s disaster relief efforts, contact the Chapter Relations Office: Michael Dowling at (312) 280-3200 or Don Wood at (312) 280-2429. To help international libraries, please contact the International Relations Office at (312) 280-3201.

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