Milne Library (pictured above) is currently in the first step of abatement: prepping the area. Preparation creates an enclosure by sealing up windows, doors, ventilation ducts and other openings with plastic sheeting (Xavier Delcid/ photo Editor).
On Jan. 10, interim Chief Communications and Marketing Officer David Irwin notified the campus community via email that Milne Library would be closed for the spring 2020 semester due to an environmental test that confirmed the presence of asbestos.
The email contents describe that in the days prior, on Jan. 6, the library’s custodial staff reported findings of fallen particles from the library ceiling. Following these findings, the Department of Environmental Health and Safety inspected and evacuated the building.
A subsequent inspection found and tested more fallen particles located in other areas of the building, all of which contained asbestos.
The Lamron initially sought comment from Milne Library’s Interim Director, Corey Ha, who redirected comments to the Office of Communications. Irwin and Director of Media Relations Monique Patenaude redirected comments to Vice President for Finance and Administration Julie Buehler. Bob Ames, Assistant Vice President for Facilities and Planning, also redirected comments to Buehler.
“Based on the test results, it came back that the air was within what we call an acceptable range,” Buehler said.
According to Irwin’s email, the existence of asbestos within an area does not necessarily produce a health risk. Yet, Buehler said the administration explored different options and decided it would be in the best interest of the Geneseo community to close the library for a period of time.
“We are still working on our plans. We have sent some reports out to experts and are waiting for them to come back. They take time. So, we don’t have exact resolutions in place,” Buehler said.
Buehler said the College plans to handle the extended closing of Milne Library in “waves.” The first, completed wave ensures safety, followed by the currently ongoing establishment of preliminary services.
Core library services, including the Library Service Desk, Course Reserves, CIT Help Desk, the Writing Learning Center and Computer Labs, have been moved
to Sturges Hall.
“There is a smaller amount of students coming in looking for books because we only have course reserves right now,” Library Service Desk employee sophomore Roseangel Pacheco said. “Most of the books are inaccessible because they are in the library, so we have been working around that obstacle.”
Library Service Desk employee sophomore Olivia Pontello said that when looking for books, employees encourage students to order books through the interlibrary loan system. This alternative allows students access to the library books that were once found upstairs.
“Not being in the library certainly affects our resources,” CIT Help Desk employee sophomore Michael Kleinlercher said. “We usually have a CIT professional sit behind us and could ask them for assistance if a problem was beyond our scope.”
Kleinlercher said that with the relocation to Sturges, him and his co-workers receive more phone calls regarding issues that students would usually come into the library to ask. He also commented that he feels he is unable to help students as much without the CIT professionals’ close proximity.
“The Writing Learning Center hasn’t opened yet but from what I have heard from other students I don’t anticipate as much foot traffic,” WLC employee junior Macaire Lisicki said. “Most people come in because they are already in the library and Sturges is really out of the way.”
According to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Stacey Robertson, the administration has worked to try and provide students with a variety of alternative study spaces working hard to mimic what was previously available in the library.
“There are places with tables for group work and spaces that are more quiet,” Robertson said. “Do they have a great view? No … although some spaces may. Do they create the community that one building does? Not exactly … but the extended hours of Mary Jemison attempt to emulate this feeling.”
Robertson said that many department chairs have reached out to her and asked what they can do to help, offering up the spaces that they can in order to try and create alternative study areas.
“People are generally understanding that this is an unusual situation,” Robertson said. “I have been so impressed that department chairs are stepping up. Even if their offered spaces can only accommodate a few people, I am happy we can offer it at all.”
Interim Director of the School of Education Dennis Showers said in an email statement to The Lamron that his department identified some currently available spaces and was happy to make them available to students. He also mentioned an offering on behalf of his department to set up a system where students could sign up for access to other spaces that are not routinely open.
New study spaces listed under the newly created Milne Library Project webpage include Sturges Hall rooms 111, 112 and 113 and the College Union Ballroom. These two spaces are furnished with tables and chairs and can seat 310 students during their listed building hours.
“We are taking a multi-pronged approach to direct our students,” Buehler said. “There is a campus study space diagram listed on our Milne Library Project webpage that shows the spaces we have opened as well as existing spaces we want to remind students exist.”
Buehler said that the main themes that have been identified among student concerns include more accommodating spaces during midterm and final exam periods and more locations where students can find food while doing work.
“It was very frustrating for me to come back to school as a second semester senior and not have a library,” special education major senior Madeline Mccabe said. “It offered a variety of different study spaces along with so many resources that, now gone, really are affecting my ability to study efficiently. There is also nowhere that offers late night hours like the library once did.”
According to the Milne Library Project webpage, extended study hours are not currently available, but will be added to buildings once a final schedule has been determined.
“It was nice to have Books and Bytes so close to where I was studying,” history adolescent education major junior Jordan Gannett. “It would be nice if the downstairs of Mary Jemison could be open longer.”
Buehler said the student concern expressing more locations for food is currently being taken into consideration in partnership with Campus Auxiliary Services.
In an email statement to The Lamron, Student Association president Adam Hansen said “the Student Association has been in constant contact with the College administration on the status of the library. We are also in the process of planning an Open Forum with the administration so students have the opportunity to voice their concerns on the recent events across campus. SA is committed to ensuring that the student body has access to the study spaces we feel our students deserve.”
A public Facebook group entitled “Protest Milne’s Closing” was created by history and political science double major senior Kate Huppe in response to the lack of quiet study spaces as well as the loss of important resources available to students that arose as a result of Milne’s closure.
The protest took place in Doty Hall on Jan. 22 and both students and faculty were present in discussing potential solutions to concerns students expressed.
Huppe’s post requested the college implement new quiet study spaces in Doty Hall. Specifically, her post said, “Let’s request that space in Doty Hall be turned into study spaces since most academic buildings get full during the semester anyways.”
Huppe was inspired to create the event after learning about the library’s closing while she was studying abroad in Madagascar.
“I found out that Milne was closing while I was abroad with a group of students from Geneseo. We were all concerned, frustrated and feeling all the range of emotions that I think everyone on campus has felt. I really got passionate and I was mad that something so central to learning was going to be taken away from us. When I went in to create this event, I wanted to have a conversation about what we wanted,” Huppe said.
In order to garner interest in her event, Huppe invited her Facebook friends and shared it in all the class Facebook pages.
However, Huppe did not specifically invite faculty to the protest. Eventually, when she saw faculty were present at the protest, Huppe was shocked.
“I honestly did not think that they would hear about it because I invited my Facebook friends and hoped that they would share it,” Huppe said. “I think in all of the Class Of pages I shared it, which some administration members are in so I guess it makes sense, but I didn’t think they would think it would be big enough of a deal to come.”
According to interim Vice President for Student and Campus Life David Braverman, the faculty heard of the protest through a student. Upon learning of this, faculty felt the need to attend the protest in order to listen to the students.
“A student had forwarded it over to me and said some students were concerned about what is going on over there,” Braverman said. “I went over to see if I could help answer questions and help students know what is going on.”
Huppe said she thought that faculty being present was good because it was a sign that they cared about the current situation as well as student concerns. However, she is unsure that the college’s motives are in the right place.
“The fact that they came I think is good. It means that they care. I’m kind of hesitant of administration’s actual goals and motives, but they are here, so that’s good,” Huppe said.
The channel for student communication is not just limited to that one event, as they have a multitude of routes they can take to voice their concerns or opinions to faculty.
For example, the library website has an email that students can use to contact faculty with their concerns about various questions regarding the library. Braverman said that students could also reach out to faculty members with questions.
“On the library webpage, there’s an email address that people can directly send information to with suggestions, recommendations or questions. If they do not know who to ask, they can ask faculty members, the Dean of Student’s office, me or other people and make recommendations that we will pass on,” Braverman said.
Braverman encourages students to reach out to the administration as he says that they are here to help the students.
“We’re here to try and help the students,” Braverman said. “We don’t know what the problems are, so people should not feel like we don’t want to hear it when they tell us what they want. We value all student concerns and aim to address all with equal respect.”