Much of James E. Shepard Memorial Library’s collection was barricaded before the fall semester started August 25 after officials discovered active or dormant mold growth on more than 1% of its books. A recent air-quality study identified three kinds of mold in the library, but not the potentially hazardous black mold found in two four-year-old dormitories, the Durham Herald-Sun reported September 24.
Evidently, the building’s heating and air-conditioning system spread moisture into the library’s annex after a steam-system leak last winter, contributing to the mold growth there. Tim Brown, NCCU’s director of capital projects, said that the annex—which contains book stacks and cubicles but no staff offices—might be closed, but that no shutdowns would happen until a contractor is chosen to do the work. A bidding process begins next month.
A $4.4-million planned renovation has already been scaled back to focus on asbestos abatement in the 27-year-old annex and to meet building codes. It will cost approximately $500,000 to clean the collection of mold.
Posted September 29, 2003.