Most of the book collection housed at Atlanta–Fulton County Public Library’s downtown branch was cordoned off January 15 because safety inspectors declared the shelving too wobbly for people to be near. The unsafe sections were marked with yellow tape on five of the library’s six floors some two weeks after six shelving units toppled over December 30. There were no injuries because no one was in the section. “We were really fortunate,” Central Library Administrator Susan Earl said in the January 31 Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Investigators determined that the accident was caused by the weight of the books shifting during the stacks’ relocation several days earlier. The shelves had been temporarily moved during renovations, which had been completed.
“It’s for the safety of our customers and our staff, so I think it’s worth it,” Earl said of the cordoning. Officials estimate it will take almost three months to restore access to all the books. However, the main collection is expected to reopen in late February after braces are added to steady the shelves.
Meantime, the ground-floor popular collection and the rare books room remain open. Librarians are fulfilling patrons’ other requests through interlibrary loan and directing researchers to Internet terminals.
Posted February 3, 2003.