1 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England 2 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Weekend where each week right here we come together we 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: talk about all the topics important to you and the 4 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,280 Speaker 1: place where you live. Thanks for tuning in again this week. 5 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: I'm Nicole Davis. It was supposed to be a pretty 6 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,599 Speaker 1: simple renovation, but one that was long awaited over at 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: the library at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield. Tens of 8 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: thousands of books that have been curated over many years 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: went lovingly into storage before that renovation a few years back, 10 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,239 Speaker 1: and unfortunately, when the staff went to go get the 11 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: books and bring them back in, they recently made a 12 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 1: tragic discovery the vast majority of the collection had been 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: destroyed by mold. Thankfully, the community has rallied to help out, 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: and we're not just talking about Western mass but the 15 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: academic community as a whole. Let's find out more about 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: this special story from Richard Felver. He is the dean 17 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: of the Library and Learning Commons at Berkshire Community College. Richard, 18 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: it's great to have you here. What exactly happened? How 19 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: did this all play out? 20 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,480 Speaker 2: The library here was built in nineteen seventy two, so 21 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: it was you know, it's a little bit old, and 22 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: it was interesting that it was. It was built into 23 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: the side of a hill, so the floor where the 24 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 2: books are captors is half underground or below grade as 25 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: they call it, and so so we unfortunately we've had 26 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 2: some a history of some water infiltration that way and 27 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: it's difficult to repair. So the college did make a 28 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 2: commitment to do a significant renovation to fix that, to 29 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 2: put a new roof on. And you know, in nineteen 30 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 2: seventy two we didn't have widespread HVAC systems in New England, 31 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: so we never had air conditioning in the building either. 32 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,960 Speaker 2: All original doors and windows that were getting a little leaky, 33 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 2: they'll you know, showing their age. And we have a 34 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: beautiful patio that the students love, but it sits on 35 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: top of part of the collection too, and that roof 36 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:15,959 Speaker 2: was starting to go. And so in twenty twenty one 37 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: in the summer, we had a very very humid summer 38 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: and that's when we had our first mold outbreak. And 39 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 2: you know, we did everything we could do. We had 40 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 2: run in a company to take each individual book off 41 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: the shelf and cleaning inspected and if it was too 42 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: far gone to dispose of it and we lost about 43 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: three thousand books at that time, but we thought we 44 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 2: kind of kind of got a handle on the rest 45 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 2: of it, and meanwhile, the administration you know, put into 46 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:48,959 Speaker 2: high gear. The renovations started with new windows and doors, 47 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 2: and then we moved out so that they could do 48 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,680 Speaker 2: sort of the bigger renovations, the roof and the HVAC system. 49 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 2: We moved out and we thought, well, we're not going 50 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: to leave all the books here, so we sent all 51 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: the books off site and it ended up we were 52 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 2: out of the building for two years providing library service 53 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 2: in another area, which worked out. It was not ideal, 54 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 2: but you know, our librarians are very good at finding information. 55 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 2: Even if we don't have the physical books. We can 56 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 2: you know, get books from other libraries, but we can 57 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 2: also use a lot of electronic resources and get the 58 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: information that they need in different ways. So we were 59 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: all excited to get back into the library. The college 60 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 2: was celebrating it's sixty fifth anniversary, and we thought, oh, 61 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 2: this is great. We're going to get the books in 62 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: just in time for that celebration. We can bring everybody 63 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 2: in and see, you know, the nice, beautiful new spaces 64 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 2: that we'd made and we have the collection back on 65 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 2: the shelves and everything's going to be wonderful. And as 66 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: it happened, when the books came out, two of my 67 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 2: librarians were sort of overseeing the books going back on 68 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 2: the shelves and noticed again, notice mold. And so every 69 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: third book or so had mold. And then even worse 70 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: than that, they noticed, and I didn't know anything about 71 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: this at the time, but they noticed something called book life, 72 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 2: which which feed off mold. You have to have mold 73 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 2: in order to have book life. They're harmless, but they 74 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 2: they're you know, a bad sign. And so we had 75 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 2: to make a terrible decision. I mean, it was the 76 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 2: right decision, but we didn't want to bring you know, 77 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 2: infected and books that we'd have a really hard time 78 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: fixing back into this newly renovated space. So we decided, 79 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 2: you know, we're just gonna cut our losses. It was 80 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 2: heart wrenching at the time, it still is, but we 81 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 2: made that decision, you know, for the health of of 82 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 2: the building, for the staff, for the students. You know, 83 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: we just didn't want to reintroduce molds into the into 84 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 2: that new space, new carpeting, new page. It was a 85 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 2: beautiful space. So that that's what we did, and you know, 86 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: I was just it was just exceedingly gratifying for me. 87 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: How quickly the library staff and the college administration sort 88 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 2: of pivoted from the dismay at the loss to view this, 89 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 2: you know, as a real opportunity, an opportunity to sort 90 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: of reimagine what a modern and what a future community 91 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 2: college library should look like or could be. And so 92 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: we just sort of switched to that, let's take this 93 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 2: as an opportunity. Let's reach out to you know, each 94 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 2: faculty member and their discipline and see, you know, what 95 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 2: they see as essentials for for physical collection in their 96 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 2: areas and careering. Karen Carreris Hubbard, our coordinator of library Services, 97 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: has a lot of connections, and she was reaching out 98 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 2: to some of our peers and getting really wonderful donations 99 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 2: from places like Brown and Harvard, Amherst College and c 100 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 2: l A, the local Berkshire Ethne and Public Library, you know, 101 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:25,200 Speaker 2: Simon's Rock, also our sorts of individuals, And the thing 102 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 2: that I really appreciated about Karen's approach is that, you know, 103 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 2: we just weren't we weren't trying to put books back 104 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 2: on the shelf just to put books on the shelfs. 105 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 2: We really wanted to make sure that they were very 106 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: focused and very you know, supportive of the teaching curriculum 107 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: here as it is now for the students and faculty 108 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 2: of what we're what the programs that we're holding. So 109 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 2: I'd say we probably have about four thousand really high 110 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: quality donations at this point as we've sort of overwhelmed 111 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 2: our you know, technical services areas or we're putting a 112 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: moratorium on donations of physical books. We do have a place, 113 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 2: you know, if someone was interested to donate money towards. 114 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: There's always a place for that. 115 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 2: Yees. 116 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, And before we get too much further into that, like, 117 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: I want to make it clear just how serious of 118 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: a loss this was, because you mentioned one out of 119 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,440 Speaker 1: every three books. How many books are we talking about 120 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: here that had to go to the dumpster. 121 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 2: So our collection was about forty three thousand books, and 122 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 2: we were looking to reduce that number to make room 123 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 2: for some more study spaces in an archive space that 124 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,120 Speaker 2: we were looking at reducing that to about thirty thousand, Okay, 125 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 2: but yeah, thirty thousand books is a lot. Yeah, And 126 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 2: they were taken off and it wasn't just a dumpster. 127 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 2: You know, they're taken off and mulched into you know, 128 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 2: I don't know what they do with them, but sort 129 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 2: of recycled and mulched into new papers somehow. So but yeah, 130 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: it was it was a shock for us. You know, 131 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 2: librarians tend to like our books. 132 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,600 Speaker 1: Well, i'd say, and you know, I mean there's something 133 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: to be said. You can have all the you know, 134 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: e texts and e readers. I personally am somebody who, 135 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: no matter how often I moved, I get angry as 136 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: I get older because I have so many books. But 137 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 1: I refuse to get rid of them. Because if you 138 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,559 Speaker 1: love books, you just love books, right, And there's nothing 139 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: quite like holding a book and reading a book and 140 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: a library. I mean, I love the smell of books. 141 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: I love being in a library for that reason alone. 142 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: It's a certain genisi qui I guess of the space. 143 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, right right now, absolutely true. I'm of the generation 144 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 2: myself for holding a book as much preferable. And you 145 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 2: see students these days reading a whole book on their phone. 146 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 2: It's like, how do you do that? I just I 147 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 2: don't know how to do that. But you know, from 148 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 2: twenty twenty one, the college put in the plan. So, 149 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 2: I mean, I'll tell you some of the positives. We 150 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 2: have a brand new roof, we have a new patio, 151 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 2: we have all new windows and doors. We're able to 152 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 2: go in and seal all the underground walls from the outside, 153 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 2: and we have a brand new for the first time 154 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 2: ever air conditioning in this you know, a new HVAC system, 155 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 2: so we are ready for all the new books that 156 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 2: are coming in to keep them safe, you know, in 157 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 2: a in a in a water tight, water safe area. 158 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 2: So we're and we were able to build new beautiful 159 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 2: study rooms and working archival space, so you know, the 160 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 2: books are gone, yes, but we are rebuilding and we're 161 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: being really folks about what we're getting. The colleges made 162 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 2: a substantial commitment to over a few years to help 163 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 2: us in that area, you know, above and beyond our 164 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 2: normal budget. So we're looking forward to how it's all 165 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:55,400 Speaker 2: going to turn out. 166 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, me too. And so you said that if somebody 167 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 1: wants to donate physical books at this point, there's just 168 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: no space at this point because you're storing them on 169 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: an off like an offshoot of the lawn. 170 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, right, right, right, We've been a little bit overwhelmed 171 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:13,320 Speaker 2: with the physical book donations. So yeah, we would be 172 00:10:13,679 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 2: much preferable to go to if you just search Berkshire 173 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 2: Community College Library, there's a link pretty prominently there for 174 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:23,679 Speaker 2: that kind of thing. 175 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: Okay, and then the money that is donated will go 176 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: toward the books that you actually have determined. Okay, moving 177 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: into the future. This is what we're going to be 178 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: using over and over and over again. 179 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 2: Exactly what where our faculty are recommending. We're soliciting from 180 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: every corner of the campus what they recommendations for different 181 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 2: subject areas, and from the students too, what are the 182 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 2: students want. So we're we're using it as an outreach 183 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:53,960 Speaker 2: opportunity to really connect the librarians with with the faculty 184 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 2: and students and staff of the college and really have 185 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,080 Speaker 2: a collection that everyone has a little bit of a 186 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 2: a in, which is nice. 187 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: It's one of those things where you're moving together into 188 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: the future. But I also think that it's really nice 189 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: that you're holding back some of those pieces of the 190 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: past at the same time. 191 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, And there are subjects, you know, art books 192 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 2: in particular, that are just hard to replicate digitally. You know, 193 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 2: you just need it in your hand, and Karen was 194 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 2: able to get just a tremendous collection from from a 195 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,960 Speaker 2: variety of sources. So I think we're all good with that. 196 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 2: We we went up to the Historical Society of Bridgewater 197 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 2: and Vermont and we have all the Civil War books 198 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 2: that we could that we could want, so for example, 199 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,600 Speaker 2: so you know, we were filling holes. But it is 200 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 2: it is difficult to start from scratch and think, Okay, 201 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 2: what do we absolutely need and what what can we 202 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,280 Speaker 2: purchase right now that that will that will help. But 203 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 2: we have the advantage. You know, we spent the last 204 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 2: two years out of the library with the collection off campus, 205 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 2: so the librarians are are quite comfortable and skill at 206 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 2: helping students and faculty get the resources they need without 207 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 2: a physical collection. So we sort of have that and 208 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 2: that's helpful. But yeah, we just want to get back 209 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 2: up and running as we normally would. 210 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 1: Okay, well, people can just again google, like you said, 211 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: the Berkshire Community College Library. Are you all on social media? 212 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: Are you is there a way where people can stay 213 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: connected with the library as it essentially gets repopulated and 214 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: moves forward. 215 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,439 Speaker 2: Yes, we do have a Facebook presence. 216 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: Okay, great, so you're on Facebook and people can again 217 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: just search for Berkshire Community College the libraries there and 218 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: they can follow you that way. Yeah, all right, phenomenal. Well, Richard, 219 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: I really appreciate the heads up, and I really hope 220 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: that you're able to get this going sooner than later 221 00:12:47,160 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 1: and settle into your beautiful news space, and that you 222 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: know you've got many decades more of you know, healthy 223 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: learning and no mold, no life, that's. 224 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 2: Right, no book life of it before. 225 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 1: But I hope you have a lovely book lice free 226 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: future over the library. 227 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 2: Well, thank you so much, Nicole, I really appreciate it. 228 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: Have a safe and healthy weekend. Please join us again 229 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: next week for another edition of the show. I'm Nicole 230 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.