by Jennifer Howard
November 12, 2012
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| More damage at the Tulane library after Katrina. At NYU, says its dean of libraries, "the good news is it's a medical library, and most of its core work is electronic." |
If a burst pipe can seriously damage library collections and facilities, consider what a monster storm can do. When Hurricane Sandy struck New York City on October 30, powerful winds and higher-than-usual tides sent a 14-foot surge of water from the East River through New York University's Langone Medical Center, shutting down the hospital, drowning thousands of mice and rats used in research, and swamping the Ehrman Medical Library.
"The force of the water was tremendous," said Paula De Stefano, head of the university's preservation and conservation department. "Furniture was moved, metal was twisted. It was really pretty amazing." Read more...
