Longwood University Library

Greenwood Library has been selected to receive a Muslim Journeys Bookshelf grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Library Association.  According to a press release from the National Endowment for the Humanities, “the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is intended to address both the need and desire of the American public for trustworthy and accessible resources about Muslim beliefs and practices and the cultural heritage associated with Islamic civilizations.”  The grant includes 25 books, three DVDs, and one year of access to Oxford Islamic Studies Online. For more information about the individual titles included in the grant, click here.

As you may know, the Library recently found mold on books in the basement storage room. The cause of the mold is unknown; there was no leak or other noteworthy cause. Basements are never ideal places for book or paper storage, and the HVAC unit in that room has had a series of troubles the past few years.

An example of mold found in the library

Since the discovery last month, we’ve quarantined the room and had visits from an environmental hygienist and disaster remedial experts to obtain an action plan and cost estimates.  The mold is currently dormant, and our main concerns are making sure: no one with compromised immune systems or sensitivities is affected; the mold does not spread; and that we follow protocol designed by the hygienist to effectively fix the problem.

Attached are the report from the hygienist and two estimates from the remedial experts. The first estimate reflects the price to clean every item, and the second estimate is the price to clean approximately 2,000 items. The fewer items we clean, the more the price goes down; we’re looking at a cost of between $25,000 and $45,000. Since we shouldn’t return items to the storage area once it has been cleaned, we will also need to think creatively about where any cleaned items would go.

Attached are 3 excel spreadsheets that break down the approximately 50,000 items by call number. They show titles previously housed in juvenile stacks, main stacks part 1 & part 2, and reference. You’ll see that a majority of these items were placed in the basement because they have not been used often in the past five to ten years. If you would please take a moment to review the titles in your areas of expertise and make a note of any we should investigate saving, we would truly appreciate your help. It may be more cost effective to replace damaged items with a print or online copy, but we will consider restoring the item we have if it is rare or valuable in its current condition. We will happily consider all requests, though budget may dictate which items can be restored or replaced.

We deeply regret any inconvenience this situation creates. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Amanda Hartman, Head of Special Collections and Digital Initiatives, or Suzy Szasz Palmer, Dean of the Library.

Let the Library play matchmaker this Valentine’s Day!  Instead of finding your perfect love match, we can help you find a book to make you laugh, cry, or keep you on the edge of your seat.  You’ll find our ‘Blind Date with a Book’ display in the Recreational Reading area in the Library Atrium.  Each book is individually wrapped with words and phrases on the cover that will entice you to check it out and give it a read.  If it turns out to be a bad match, return it and try again!  A book may break your heart, but it will never stand you up!  Come by soon and check out our display!