ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


382 / C&RL News ■ Apri12001

Earthquake rocks Pacific Northwest libraries

Libraries throughout the Pacific Northwest 
are recovering from the region’s most pow­
erful earthquake in more than 50 years. On 
February 28, books were thrown and shelv­
ing units pulled loose during a quake reg­
istering 6.8 on the Rich­
ter scale. Due to the 
quake’s epicenter being 
30 miles underground, 
library damage was 
minimal and no injuries 
were reported. Seismic 
retrofitting precautions 
and library emergency 
planning also served to 
limit earthquake damage 
to buildings and prevent 
injuries.

Hours after the 10:55 
a.m. quake, our region’s 
librarians were sending 
messages to colleagues 
on the status of their li­
braries. Portland State 
University’s (Oregon)
Web site (http://www.lib. 
pdx.edu/old/staffsocial/ 
earthquake/feb2801.

html) displayed photos of books piled in 
their library aisles and damage to a micro­
fiche cabinet.

Bill Bruner, library services dean at Ever­
green State College Library (Olympia, 
Washington), reported that half their collec­
tion was on the floor, in addition to dam­
aged light fixtures, downed ceiling tiles, and 
minor water damage to their slide collection 
and media labs. Bruner expected it would 
take weeks to re-shelve materials. Staff from 
neighboring O’Grady Library at St. Martin’s 
College (Lacey, Washington) will help re­
store order, as director Dalia Hagan reported 
that their new library came through the quake

Designed by architectural firms Welles- 
Pugsley and Leo A. Daly, the library received 
funding from the state of Nevada and the Lied 
Foundation Trust. The library features:

• a $1.5 million automated storage 
and retrieval system capable of holding 
1.2 million volumes. They system’s crane

An estimated 60,000 to 70,000 vol­
umes will have to be reshelved at 
the Seattle University Law’ Library.

with “flying colors.” Recent renovation at the
University of Puget Sound Library (Tacoma, 
Washington) spared that library damage, said
library’ director Marilyn Mitchell. Mortvedt Li­
brary at Pacific Lutheran University also

reported no damage, thanks
in part to the rocky soil of
their Tacoma location.

In the Seattle area, Charles
Diede, library director of the
DV Hurst Library at North­
west College (Kirkland, 
Washington), estimated dis­
placement of 10 percent of
their collection and the need
to repair wall-anchored shelv­
ing units. John Popko at Se­
attle University’s Lemieux
Library reported that several
thousand of their books and
periodicals were on the floor, 
and one shelving unit was de­
tached.

 

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

Library staff responded 
during the quake to ensure 
patron safety. Bob Menan­
teaux of the Seattle Univer­
sity Law Library had a har­

rowing experience. As students on the fourth 
floor ran for a glass staircase during the 
quake, he ordered them under tables to avoid 
being hit by flying books, if not more. 
Menanteaux described windows as billow­
ing “in and out like bed sheets hung out to 
dry.” Concerned about aftershocks once the 
shaking ceased, he ushered students through 
fire exits. He estimated that 60,000 to 70,000 
volumes were thrown from shelves. Fortu­
nately, original stack diagrams from their 1999 
move to a new building will speed an ex­
pected four-week re-shelving project.— 
Francesca Lane Rasmus, Pacific Lutheran 
University, lanerafr@plu.edu

and robotic arm is visible through a glass 
wall. Patrons can request items electroni­
cally and the retrieval system will auto­
matically deliver available items to a 
pick-up area;

• an Information Commons with 96 
computer workstations, remote laptop

http://www.lib
pdx.edu/old/staffsocial/
lanerafr9plu.edu