From the Beaufort (SC) Gazette, a report on the status of libraries in that war-torn country.
The new director of the USC Library, Harvey Varnet, spent time in the Middle East over the past 25 years building, teaching and, most recently, helping rebuild Iraq’s antiquated library system. When the U.S. military invaded in 2003, things worsened for Iraqi librarians: Their places of work became targets. Libraries were looted, and librarians resorted to sneaky tactics like erecting fake walls to hide books. Even so, rioters delivered a severe blow to the nation’s literary history.
“You name it, it was gone,” said Varnet, “(Looters) could sell that in a market. Furniture, equipment, shelves. You know, these people were looking at, ‘The world is falling apart,’ and were desperate. … We didn’t do a good job protecting their cultural heritage.”
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