by Susanne Caro, Government Documents Librarian
The New Mexico State Library is now the home of Disasters, the Stories We Share. This National Endowment for the Humanities funded exhibit was created to test the feasibility of a customizable exhibit where hosts could provide content directly related to their community. The topic of disasters was chosen due to the universal nature of such events. The purpose of the exhibit is to encourage discussion and provide a starting point for sharing stories.
How widely the news initially covers a disaster and how the story is repeated effects how the event is remembered. The story can change over time and be incorporated into various forms of media. Some stories fade while others continue to generate wide interest. These stories have power and can lead to positive change.
The New Mexico State Library chose the topic Downwinders and the Nuclear Age as their addition to this exhibit. Although fires, floods, and other disasters are perceived as being of a short duration, it can be argued the Trinity bomb test and following boom in uranium mining can also be considered a disaster.
There was no news coverage of Trinity test on July 16th, 1945, it wasn’t until after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August that the world learned what had been tested in the New Mexico desert. It would be even longer before the long-term negative effects of nuclear bomb testing and uranium mining were well known. Cases of cancer and other diseases emerged long after exposure. Many New Mexicans continue to fight for recognition and compensation of injuries through court cases, congressional testimony, advocacy, and changes to laws. The stories of those affected, although now better known, are important and should be heard.
Disasters, the Stories We Share is the newest addition to the Circulating Kits available for public libraries to borrow from the New Mexico State Library, which include science kits, exhibits, book sets, and more. If your library would like to host the exhibit, you can learn more about the program and delivery process on the website.
What is available: The exhibit has 8 banners total: a triptych of panels presenting three main themes, and five panels from other libraries from around the country.
- Disasters and their impacts
- The building of meaning around a disaster event
- The varied impacts of disasters on communities
- Fargo, North Dakota. Floods of 1897 and 1997.
- Richmond and Logan, Utah. Earthquake of 1962.
- Missoula, Montana. Flood of 1908 and heavy metal contamination.
- Columbia University, New York. Rikers Island and incarnation.
- New Mexico, Downwinders and the nuclear age.
The New Mexico State Library collections include abundant materials on the impact and legacy of nuclear testing in New Mexico. The library is open to the public Monday – Friday, 1:00-5:00pm. Additional information is available on the New Mexico State Library Research Guides: Downwind, and the original archived project website, Disasters: Stories We Share.