Staying Alive

I got my Monday morning look at The NY Times Books Update email that comes weekly. On the side there was a small article and link to an online diary of the Director of the Iraq National Library. I know many of us heard about the huge losses of materials there when the war began, but I must confess I hadn't thought about their day to day struggles. While many of our public libraries are facing budget issues, the issues faced by the staff of the INLA are staggering and sobering. Here's a chart, from the Diary of Saad Eskander, Director the Library.

The Impact of the Sectarian Violence on the INLA's Staff (December 2006)

Type of impact Number

Unlawful Death (assassinations) 4
Unlawful Death of Relatives (e.g. Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts, Nephews) 66
Kidnapping 2
Kidnapping of relatives (e.g. Sons, Daughters, Brothers, Sisters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts, Nephews) 6
Death Threat 58
Displacement 51
Plundering 3
Damage to Houses 3
Other Material losses 3
Note: Total Number of the INLA's staff is 464 (including 39 Guards).

This diary is being hosted by the British Library. If you are interested in reading more, visit http:////www.bl.uk/iraqdiary.html.