Ukraine National Library
Suffers Water Damage
More than 200,000 books, magazines, and newspapers at the Ukraine National Library in Kiev were heavily damaged by water, steam, and humidity when a pipeline in the library’s central heating system began leaking early on the morning of October 22. The pipe burst on the seventh floor and hot water flowed to lower floors throughout the night.
Officials from the National Academy of Sciences, which administers the library, sent 11,500 of the wettest materials to a refrigeration unit for restoration. The rest of the dampened books were dried on the premises. The NAS determined that the pipe had been corroded and ordered the replacement of all pipes and radiators in the system.
The Kiev newspaper The Day reported November 5 that the general public was not informed about the incident until October 30, when Director Oleksiy Onyshchenko called a news conference. He claimed the secrecy was prompted by security concerns that organized crime or the media could seize the opportunity to steal library materials.
Library officials complained in the paper that no funds had been provided for building maintenance in the past two years, and they were unable to pay outstanding bills for electricity, office security, fire alarms, and communications. UNESCO is currently looking into ways of providing the library with preservation equipment.
Posted November 18, 2002.
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