Timeline Stories

While library staff continued to process interlibrary loan requests for electronic journal articles throughout the duration of the Library’s closure, the sending and receiving of books and other items for IDS was interrupted. With Fraser being centrally located on campus and without a loading dock, library staff worked with campus Central Stores to coordinate continued shipping and receiving of library materials through the mail. On January 16, 2020, IDS courier services resumed, restoring a vital library service to the campus.

Prior to the closure, the Library had employed approximately 60 student workers. The move to a significantly smaller location meant that the Library would not have enough work for its regular student workforce. Library staff communicated with College officials to find work placements for students who suddenly found themselves out of a campus job. On Thursday, January 16, 2020, the formal process of transferring student employees to new positions with the College Union and Environmental Health & Safety began.

In the coming days, additional walkthroughs of the selected space in Sturges took place to plan locations for library staff and services. Of note, the Leadership Team needed to find locations for 25 staff members, the Service Desk, Course Reserve Collection, CIT HelpDesk, Writing Learning Center, Research Help Desk, and the Mail room for shipping / receiving purposes.

 

Within a few days of learning that the asbestos in Milne would result in an indefinite closure of the building, the Library’s Leadership Team started touring available spaces to temporarily house library services. One of these spaces was an office suite on the main floor of Sturges Hall. This space was most recently occupied by AOP, who were actively moving to Blake Hall at the time.

 

 

Library staff occupied Fraser Hall until a more long-term location on campus was found. In those first few days, library staff scrambled to give direction and provide documentation on alternative sources for print resources that were now locked inside Milne Library. 

Library staff had the chance to request that personal belongings and materials necessary for long-term work outside of the library could be retrieved from Milne. Staff members requested that basic materials be retrieved, such as print files and folders, label supplies for books, physical materials that were in process, and materials used for research skills instruction. Staff requested that photos of loved ones, sentimental items, and other personal belongings be brought out of Milne. While the majority of items were returned to the staff, some items were never found or were deemed unsalvageable and thus destroyed. Arrangements were made for books on course reserve to be cleaned and retrieved from Milne.

 

Library staff were informed of the discovery of asbestos on the third floor of Milne Library. Shortly afterwards, the staff was told that everyone must vacate the building for the next couple of days while further testing was done.

Staff gathered their coats and boots, materials needed for the next few days of work, and in the case of our Special Collections Librarian, several boxes worth of archival materials, and trudged to the College Union. For the rest of the day, library staff occupied two conference rooms in the Union and worked.

Soon afterward, the library staff learned that Milne Library would be closed for the duration of the Spring 2020 semester—at least.