News About the Zimmerman Library Fire

On Thursday the University of New Mexico web site posted an update on Zimmerman Library. Excerpts: "There was a fire in Zimmerman's periodical area on Basement Level 1 on Sunday night, April 30... University administrators are planning to reopen Zimmerman Library to the public sometime in June. The ground floor, second and third levels will all be opened while cleaning and repair of the basement level is underway... Physical Plant administrators say a 7500-square foot area of the upper basement level on the eastern side of the building was completely destroyed... Clean-up of Zimmerman's first, second and third floors has begun and is expected to continue through mid to late June. Each book and shelf must be dry wiped. All ceiling tiles are being replaced and all the walls cleaned... Materials from Zimmerman's second and third floors are available for paging..."

Their catalog has already been updated to show which materials may be paged and which not (example) (example) from the closed building, as the University scrambles to help its students and faculty keep on with their academic work despite the disaster.