NEH Chairman's Emergency Grant - Jose M. Lazaro Library

FAIN: PB-261012-18

University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus (San Juan, PR 00925-2512)
Miguel A. Santiago Rivera (Project Director: December 2017 to May 2019)

The acquisition and installation of six dehumidifiers, a general assessment, cleaning supplies, and disinfectant for the Art Collection, Circulation and Reserve Collection, Documents and Maps Collection, newspapers, photographs, and furniture of the Jose M. Lazaro Library at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras that were damaged by water and mold caused by Hurricane Maria.

There have been multiples damages to the Jose M. Lazaro Library building due to Hurricane Maria.  These include, but are not limited to, its roof, air conditioning systems, ducts, windows, acoustic paneling, elevators, ceiling stucco (including asbestos fiber release or detachment), invaluable works of art, furniture, lights and illumination, among others. The collections damaged due to direct water exposure include: The Reference and Journals Collection, a voluminous collection, includes reference library books and journals encompassing all topics, with particular emphasis on the social sciences and humanities; the Art Collection includes invaluable art books and graphic material, such as historical posters, serigraphs and drawings of Puerto Rican and international artists; and the Circulation and Reserve Collection includes a vast collection of books representing all disciplines with emphasis on the social sciences and the humanities.