Book Basement Update

If you are a member of the UMF community, you've probably heard we had some unexpected guests yesterday afternoon: the Farmington Fire Department.
Here's what happened: a large pipe located in the custodian's closet in the book basement broke, and by golly, it was a gusher. Library staff leaped into action, and immediately started loading books from the lowest shelves onto book carts as the water rose. Ilze took one for the team, and stood barefoot in ankle-deep water, re-enacting the story of the Little Dutch Boy by attempting to plug the hole and slow down the flow. Fortunately, Facilities was able to get the water mains shut off before the water level reached the books, and none were damaged. The fire fighters arrived with giant squeegees and began the clean up effort that continues today, with several large fans humming away to dry the carpet.
The book basement will remain closed until further notice, and due to the fact that some water lines must remain shut off, some of the first floor bathrooms are out of order as well.
If you need a book from the basement, a staff person or library aide will be happy to retrieve it for you. And speaking of the student library aides, the ones who were on duty during the flood deserve a big shout out. They held down the fort while the entire staff was in the basement, moving books. We really appreciate our student workers. Thanks, crew. And thanks to Facilities and the Farmington Fire Dept. , too!
Hopefully, the basement will be cleaned, repaired, and open soon. We'll keep you posted.