NEH Chairman's Emergency Grant - College of Natural Sciences

FAIN: PB-261774-18

University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus (San Juan, PR 00925-2512)
Rafael Rios (Project Director: February 2018 to August 2019)

Mold remediation efforts, with the assistance of a consultant, along with the purchase of dehumidifiers to restore appropriate environmental conditions in a library dedicated to the natural history of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, which was damaged during Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The Center for Information and Technology (CITec) at the College of Natural Sciences and the Nestor Rodriguez Rivera Library are a dynamic integrated unit that provides services related to the access, creation, and management of invaluable sources, as well as access to technological and informational resources to support learning and research to the students, investigators and members of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.  One of the components of the Library is a collection comprised of some 222,000 titles, which include texts, journals and databases.  The passing of Hurricane Maria resulted in flooding to the whole of our building, affecting walls, ceilings, flooring, shelves, desks, general equipment, and information resources in all areas.  The drying, cleaning, and disinfecting of individual pieces is necessary in order to safeguard the whole of our valuable collections.