Library Prefect Raffaele Farina said the bunker needed extra fireproofing, upgraded electrical wiring, and new emergency exits. “We also need air conditioning and humidity controls to preserve the manuscripts better,” Farina said in the May 4 Guardian, “and we must reduce the dust.” The BBC News reported May 3 that the Vatican’s reading room would be used by the library’s conservators while the bunker is restored.
Farina also said a 16th-century section of the library will have its floors and ceilings reinforced to take the weight of heavy equipment, and a 15th-century wing will similarly be reinforced to support modern shelving.
Posted May 4, 2007.