Restoration Work to Begin

September 8, 2000

To: All Patrons of the C. V. Starr East Asian Library
From: Amy V. Heinrich, Director

As of Monday, September 11, work will begin to prepare the East Asian Library’s stacks for the restoration of the foundations of Kent and Philosophy Halls. The foundation walls will be strengthened and waterproofed, and drainage in the buildings as a whole will be renovated. In the long term, this work will improve the climate control in Starr’s book stacks, and therefore help us keep our materials safe and dry, so we are eager to have the work done. In the short term, however, there will be disruption in the stacks.

The books closest to the east wall of room 108 in the stacks (call numbers ND1054.5 through PE68.J3) will be temporarily moved to the overflow holding section in room 105, diagonally across from the elevator. All folios in the Library of Congress classification system, now on the north and west walls of room 108, will be moved to be shelves in the Rare Book and Special Collections reading room, which will be open whenever the Library is open, so they can be browsed.

Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room hours will remain from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but the Kress seminar room will be used as the reading room.

We are sorry for the inconvenience caused by these shifts in our collection, and ask you for your patience in bearing up under work that will eventually improve conditions for our resources. If you have trouble locating materials you need, please ask library staff for help.