Library Flood Information

Early Saturday morning (3/1), a flood was discovered in the Library. Broken coils in the air conditioning system located on the roof caused water to flow through all the library's tiers in the Old Building.

An estimated 20,000 volumes were affected by the flood. In an effort to save these books; staff, students, and volunteers removed these books from the tiers; scanned their barcodes; and packed them for transport to be freeze-dried.

Freeze-drying will help to prevent permanent damage to the books and stop mold from forming. This process will take place at a facility in Texas. At the moment, it is not clear when the books will return, or whether all of them can be saved.

Currently, all tiers are open, with dehumidifiers still at work. Collections affected by the flooding include portions of psychology, philosophy, religion, sociology, women’s studies, economics, law, politics, and education. If a volume you are looking for is one of those that has been damaged, you can request it through Link+. Please feel free to ask a librarian for help regarding the availability of materials.

If anyone finds wet books, please let a staff member know. These books can be included in the shipment for freeze drying until Tuesday at noon.

The Library would like to thank everyone who have helped out in the recovery efforts throughout the weekend.

Laura Serafini, Head of Access Services, and Eli Chartkoff, Preservation Assistant, directed the effort.