The library archives have been shut down until further notice due to mold on the books, although the mold is not thought to be toxic.

Healthy Buildings investigated the situation last week and was able to determine that the mold is most likely not toxic, said Beth Cain, assistant director of facilities management. The expert from Healthy Buildings took samples of the mold for testing and will be able to determine what kind of mold it is and how Biola should proceed, said Sue Whitehead, interim co-director of the library.

The mold was found on Sept. 23 by student assistant and junior English major Alison Evans, who then reported it to Whitehead. Initially, the mold was found on one aisle but was later discovered in several more places, Evans said. Upon recommendation from facility services, the archives were shut down until it could be determined if the mold is harmful. 

Unidentified cause

The cause of the mold has yet to be determined.

“We’re kind of mystified at this point,” Whitehead said.

To help determine why the mold started growing, Healthy Buildings has installed data loggers in the archive room to get hourly readings on the temperature and moisture in the room, Cain said.

It is unlikely that the mold has spread to any other part of the library since the archive room is on a different air flow system, Whitehead said.

Possible damage

The historical collections and rare books are stored in the archive room to help preserve them, and any permanent damages have yet to be discovered, Whitehead said.

“Hopefully it’s been found soon enough that it can be cleaned and taken care of,” she continued.

The cost for cleanup has not been determined yet and will depend on the kind of mold, Whitehead said. There is no timeline for when the archives will be open again.