Eastern Kentucky schools and libraries are still reeling from the effects of flash flooding that started on July 26. The flooding has not only killed 37 people, it’s also put already socioeconomically vulnerable areas at greater risk.
The Letcher County school district superintendent shared one particularly devastating video of a school’s library that shows books covered in mud. The library is one of three—two elementary and one middle school—that has been lost to flooding.
What You Can Do
Donate Books
The district is asking for book donations to help rebuild its collections. If you have any elementary or middle school books in good condition that you’d like to donate, please send them to the Letcher County Board of Education at the following address:
Board of Education
752 Hazard Rd.
Whitesburg, KY 41858
Donate Money
Kim Michele Richardson—author of The Women of Troublesome Creek, which takes place in the area affected by the flooding— has also started a GoFundMe for Letcher County’s public libraries if you’re able to contribute financially.
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
