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ProQuest Steps In to Help Hurricane Evacuees
Exhibit City News, April 2006
The IBM/ProQuest Internet & Homework Library, located
in Baton Rouge, has been providing services to hurricane
evacuees since September 22. Ann Curtis, the ProQuest
exhibit and event manager whose hands-on, on-site
efforts transformed the library from idea to reality.
She said much of the project's success can be attributed
to her experience as an exhibit manager and the support
provided by her tradeshow suppliers.
ProQuest provides newspaper and other databases to
libraries. The idea to create the library emerged on
September 1 as the ProQuest marketing team watched
footage of the disaster hurricane Katrina was wreaking
in New Orleans. "We decided to do something to help, to
make a contribution uniquely within our skill set," says
Curtis.
As events wore on, ProQuest customers in affected
areas reported the many needs of hurricane victims.
People needed help locating their families, finding
housing and jobs, and children needed resources and
temporary locations for schools' all functions that
could be provided by a library, librarian and Internet
access.
ProQuest assigned the project to Curtis because of
her experience setting up their exhibit on the show
floor - in essence a temporary library. The original
plan was to locate the library in the George R. Brown
Convention Center in Houston. But plans changed after a
conversation with Beth Bingham, a friend of Curtis's who
was a retired librarian in Baton Rouge changed all that.
"Beth said 'Please come here. We have 5,000 evacuees
living in our convention center'," says Curtis.
Curtis put her trade show experience and ProQuest's
tradeshow suppliers to work. Through Bingham, she
contacted the LSU School of Library Science which
supplied students as volunteer librarians. Bingham also
solicited additional volunteers from the Cajun Clickers,
a local computer club.
To house the library, Curtis called on Paulette
Basham of United Van Lines. Basham tracked down the
names of trailer companies and found one in Atlanta with
a classroom trailer available.
For computers, Curtis utilized ProQuest's
relationship with IBM to obtain access to ten that IBM
had set aside for hurricane relief. These were handled
and stored by United Van Lines until the library was
ready.
GES generously donated all of the furniture for the
library including tables, chairs, desks, and
bookshelves. Curtis' exhibit house, Exhibit Concepts
created and donated graphics for the library and
provided Curtis with hardware - rope, fasteners, zip
ties, whatever was needed. Curtis' long-time I&D
supervisor, Dave Fegely, delivered and set-up a set of
trailer stairs from Atlanta - on just a few hours'
notice. And ProQuest's PC support staff stepped in to
set up the computers'
Throughout the process, Curtis encountered many snags
that would have discouraged most people. Location,
permission, equipment availability and utilities all
came into play. But Curtis took it all in stride,
"Getting the right utility connections, the necessary
suppliers, permissions, and other components is similar
to working on the show floor," she says. "The things you
learn as a trade show manager teach you to move and
think quickly. And to make alternative plans and
implement then on the spot when necessary."
Curtis credits her employer, colleagues and suppliers
for their contributions. ProQuest saw this project put
to rapid use while others such as a classroom trailer
that had been donates sat uninstalled and unused. "We
put suppliers from our industry in charge because they
know how to get things done fast," she said. "You can
depend on them to help you out in an emergency on the
show floor and it translated to this."
The library opened in late September near the Baton
Rough River Center Shelter. The Argosy Casino provided
the location power and internet directly across the
street from convention center. "It was the perfect
location and the Argosy's answer to virtually every
request was, "Yes," says Curtis.
Within the first three weeks, 500 evacuees had made
use of the library. At that time, the convention center
shelter closed and ProQuest moved the trailer to its
current location in Renaissance Village, a field outside
Baton Rouge that had been transformed into a trailer and
camper park for 1700 evacuees. Curtis and team went back
to work, telling anyone who questioned them, "Do what
needs to be done. Just get it moved." The trailer park
had no telecommunications, so Curtis' team used its
connections to get Cox Cable to run an Internet line.
In the process of managing all of this, Curtis
personally made five trips to Baton Rouge and spending
26 days there.
"Ann accomplished a remarkable feat," says Jeff
Korchinski, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at
Exhibit Concepts. "Her can-do attitude, ability to rally
the troops and unwillingness to take "No" for an answer
ensured the success of the project. Knowing she was in
charge made our involvement an easy decision. We are
very proud of everything that has been accomplished and
pleased that this initiative benefit so many people."
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