While You Were Sleeping

If you spend a lot of time in the library you will start to recognize some very important people. Here’ s a hint, look for the blue gloves and the spray cleaner. The library is supported by Physical Facilities who provide custodial services. They are the reason we have such a pleasant environment to study in. During the day they check the restrooms and keep them in order. They tidy up spills and bits of trash that are bound to happen from time to time. They are so good at cleaning fingerprints off of glass that you probably have no idea how many there are during the day. Then, late at night, or early in the morning depending on your point of view, more people come in to vacuum and clean our carpets.

During the course of a year these people will clean everything from the top of pointy atrium roof to the edges of the carpet in the far reaches of the oldest stacks. Once in a while they will call in outside help with tall cherry picker machines so they can reach those places that the rest of us can’t imagine how they get there. Other times they use smaller machines and really long poles to dust the walls way up high.

So, today’s library news is simply this. Thank you to all the people who make our lives so nice.

The next time you are walking into the library before the sun rises, know that for some people the workday is already well underway.