5/31/07
Today was a full day of work!!! We were split into “work groups” and given certain assignments to do within the library. I was lucky to work with Katie and Jayme, because without them I do not think everything would have been as smooth as it was. We were one of the two groups to start the day off. The only assignment that I had mixed feelings about was the oral history part. We were to interview people about their experiences going through Katrina. Talking in public is not my strength so I really did not want to do this part, but in the end it was the most influential part of the day. I thought we were at a disadvantage because instead of conducting 2 oral histories like everyone else, we had three to do. All three interviews were very emotional and difficult to hear, but I found them very helpful for both me and the person I was interviewing. It seemed that the interview was just as hard for the victim as it was for me. This opened my mind and I actually cared and wanted to listen to what they had to say. After finishing the interviews our group started to help organize the history of the library into a scrapbook.
That night the library was hosting a film screening for residents. This was new to me because libraries are usually strict about their noise level. Although we had to read subtitles the entire time it was a very good movie and I was stunned with how many people were in attendance. It only showed the importance of the library within the community.