Mold Forces Temporary Closure Of Boston Public Library's Rare Books Department
BOSTON (CBS) -- Boston Public Library's Rare Books Department will be temporarily closed for several weeks after mold was discovered on Monday.
The department will be closed for 5-to-10 weeks after mold was found in several locations. The mold was initially found on the British Museum Catalogue of Printed Books by a staff member.
In a statement released Friday, library staff say they made the decision to close the department to protect about 500,000 books and one million manuscripts and prevent the spread of mold spores.
Polygon will be working to clean the collection and address the situation. The cleanup effort will focus on the department's books.
Library staff say the air quality in the department is being monitored, and no health or safety risks have been identified.