It's interesting that, in a country so prone to earthquakes, they don't have what bookshelves on ships have to prevent the books from falling out: a wooden bar across the front of each shelf.
I think heartbreaking is a bit too strong -- it's not as if the books are irretrievably lost or damaged. They just need to be picked up and reshelved. It's a lot of work, but the books are clean, dry, and safe from fire while people work on more urgent stuff.
I would agree that heartbreaking is too strong. One of my LJ friends lives in Christchurch and is a librarian at the university. They picked up and reshelved all the books last September and they are picking them up and reshelving them again, but the books are fine, if a little ruffled.
Yes, I agree with both akirlu and heleninwales*. So long as no tsunami waves reach the books, it's even a comparatively simple clean-up job, and an utterly satisfying one. It's a mess; there's little in the way of destruction.
*I'm betting the Wales Helen is in isn't the one in Massachusetts. But if I'm wrong, we should get together for tea or somesuch. :-)
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Date: 2011-03-14 09:01 pm (UTC)*I'm betting the Wales Helen is in isn't the one in Massachusetts. But if I'm wrong, we should get together for tea or somesuch. :-)