Floats, catfish and jazz singers all transformed the mood at Tisch Library last week as the library held various Mardi Gras-themed events to raise funds for the Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO) library, which was mostly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina last August.
Tisch was chosen last December by the American Library Association to "sponsor" SUNO's library by helping the recovery effort in any way possible.
Now that books, computers and other supplies have been assembled and are ready to ship to New Orleans, organizers have shifted their focus to fundraising. As a result of this week's Jumbo-Laya events, over $1,000 has been raised in raffle ticket sales and donations, Tisch Library Acquisitions Manager Tony Kodzis said.
Events included a video on "catfish snoodling" - catching catfish in the river with one's bare hands - and a showing of Billie Holliday and Louis Armstrong music videos.
The week's biggest event, however, was the float competition - every department at Tisch made a float and paraded it around the library at noon every day for the week. The media department won first place, followed by acquisitions in second and access services in third.
Kodzis said that there was no particular fundraising goal in mind, as this is the first time the library has organized an event of this kind, but that he was "very pleased with the response."
"Students from New Orleans have come and said they really appreciate it," he said.
The library is planning to hold an exhibit on graduation and alumni weekends to allow families and graduates to get a glimpse of this week's parades, Kodzis said. That exhibit will also help raise more money for SUNO's library.
