Dr. MUMFORD. We have had considerable damage to books. Perhaps Mr. Berry could add to that. Mr. BERRY. I do not know of any actual injuries recently through this book carrier but there is potential danger in handling the books and the boxes which carry them. Mr. ANDREWS. All right. Next item. REPLACEMENT OF ELEVATORS IN MAIN BUILDING Mr. HENLOCK. $136,000 is requested to replace three passenger elevators in bookstacks in the main building. Mr. STEWART. I would like to have Mr. Rubel explain that item to the committee. Dr. MUMFORD. Here is a place where there is real personal hazard, Mr. Chairman, and I was not aware of it until a short time ago. Mr. RUBEL. This is another case of obsolete equipment. These elevators were installed in the bookstacks of the main building at least 30 years ago. They were at that time installed by a company called the A. B. See Elevator Co. The A. B. See Elevator Co. has since gone out of business. The replacement parts are practically unobtainable except at exorbitant prices. I have a few examples here to illustrate my point. This is a small but important control switch made in 1932. To get a replacement today costs $40 and maybe the replacement part would be delivered in 6 months or a year. Again, this coil cost $6.75 in 1956 and today it costs $25.17. Likewise, this piece of copper in 1956 cost 60 cents and now it costs $2.26. All such replacement parts must be handmade. These elevators are not equipped with protective devices now required by the Elevator Safety Code. The doors are not equipped with flexible safety edges currently used to prevent physical injury to users of the cars. Mr. ANDREWS. It is just an old elevator? Mr. RUBEL. They are old-style installations with heavy steel doors devoid of conventional safety devices. Mr. ANDREWS. What is the capacity of the elevator? Mr. RUBEL. 1,800 pounds at 200 feet per minute. Each can hold about six people. These elevators are also used for transporting the box trucks filled with books. My principal concern is the safety of the people using them. Mr. ANDREWS. Have you had any accidents as a result of the condition of these elevators? Dr. MUMFORD. I do not know of any, but I was appalled when I learned these doors had no control at all once they get started. It is a wonder we have not had accidents. Mr. ANDREWS. Are they used by employees only, or do visitors use them? Dr. MUMFORD. They are used mostly by employees. Some readers with stack passes may use them. Mr. RUBEL. Scholars and readers having access to the bookstacks do use these elevators. Mr. ANDREWS. I assume if a visitor or employee were injured they might have a claim against the Government? Dr. MUMFORD. They would have. Mr. ANDREWs. How firm is this figure of $136,000? Mr. RUBEL. This is a firm figure based on an estimate perpared by a major manufacturer. Mr. ANDREWS. For the three elevators? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. We have allowed for some escalation in market prices. Mr. ANDREWS. How will that work be done? Mr. RUBEL. By a contractor under the established competitive bidding procedure. Mr. ANDREWS. Have you talked to manufacturers? Mr. RUBEL. We have had some preliminary discussions with two manufacturers to establish the feasibility of the proposed modernization program. Mr. ANDREWS. You think you can get them installed for that amount? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. Next item. ADDITIONAL ELEVATOR IN ANNEX Mr. STEWART. The next item is the installation of an additional elevator in the annex and I think Dr. Mumford should speak to that item. Dr. MUMFORD. This is on the east side of the annex building. When the annex was built only two elevators were installed on that side but two additional elevator shafts were installed for future use. Four elevators were installed on the west side. Traffic has become heavier and heavier and there is a great deal of loss of time in waiting for elevators. Now that we have renovated the fourth floor, which was previously a storage area, and converted it to office space we have a number of employees working there and the situation will get worse. We are asking that an elevator be installed in one of the empty shafts on the east side. Mr. ANDREWS. Did you ever request funds for this purpose before? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes; I think we did some years ago. While it can be foregone, the lack of this additional elevator results in considerable loss of time on the part of the staff. Mr. ANDREWS. I believe you said some visitors use elevators in this part of the building? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. Mr. ANDREWS. I believe they are copyright users? Dr. MUMFORD. And those that go up to the Jefferson Reading Room. Mr. ANDREWs. Why is one elevator estimated to cost $125,000 and the previous request for three elevators was $136,000? Is that due to the size? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir. This is a conventional passenger elevator having a capacity of 3,000 pounds at 500 feet per minute and equipped with an automatic control system. It will accommodate 20 passengers The other three elevators previously discussed would be equipped with less complicated control systems, an inexpensive car of austere design, and considerably less motive power. Mr. ANDREWS. Doctor, granting that you may have a case here, inflation pressure is all around us and while this is a relatively small item in the whole budget, it is another item that adds to demand. What would be the penny wiseness and pound foolishness in leaving this out? I feel I Dr. MUMFORD. It is difficult to estimate what our loss in time is. I know it is great but I cannot give it in dollars and cents. would be remiss if I did not bring this to your attention. Mr. ANDREWS. How firm do you consider this figure? Mr. RUBEL. It is a firm figure. Mr. ANDREWS. It includes installation? Mr. RUBEL. Yes, sir; the complete job. Mr. ANDREWS. How many elevators are there in the main building, Dr. Mumford? Dr. MUMFORD. Mr. Berry may have that figure. I know we have six for the transport of staff and visitors. Mr. BERRY. We have six passenger elevators in the main building six stack elevators, and three freight lifts. Mr. ANDREWS. Have you had any accidents in the last few years in and around elevators? Dr. MUMFORD. Not to my knowledge. We have had accidents of people slipping on floors. Mr. ANDREWS. Inside? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, on marble. Mr. ANDREWS. Have any filed suit or threatened to do so? Mr. HENLOCK. We have had some Federal tort claims filed for accidents, some in the buildings and some on the grounds. Mr. ANDREWS. Have any gone to court? Mr. HENLOCK. No, sir. We are allowed to administratively settle a claim up to $2,500. Dr. MUMFORD. The injuries, fortunately, were not serious injuries, not terribly serious. Mr. ANDREWS. Next item. CONSTRUCTION CHANGES IN ANNEX CELLAR Mr. HENLOCK. Construction changes in cellar areas, annex, $115,000. Dr. MUMFORD. We have great need for additional storage space on the premises to house such items as semiactive records not yet due for disposal, reserve stocks of publications, materials for the collections awaiting screening and selection, and a reserve stock of furniture and equipment to fill urgent requests. The area we used in the past for this purpose on the fourth floor of the annex has been converted and is occupied for office space. We are reduced to the point we do not have space to store these materials. There is an area under the annex which was not completed at the time the annex was built. By laying a slab over unfinished dirt floors and providing better lighting and ventilation it would provide good storage for this purpose, about 200,000 cubic feet. Mr. ANDREWs. Is that about the cheapest space you could get anywhere? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir, in a location that would be convenient for our needs. Mr. ANDREWS. What would you need, a slab and what else? Mr. RUBEL. The present dirt floor is not a level floor. Consequently the dirt floor will have to be leveled out and have a concrete slab poured over it. Mr. ANDREWS. Do you plan to paint or plaster the walls? Mr. RUBEL. No, sir. Mr. ANDREWs. What will this $115,000 cover? Mr. RUBEL. It will include leveling the dirt floor, pouring a slab, provide better lighting and ventilation, and improved access to the newly finished area. Mr. ANDREWS. How many feet of storage space would it provide? Mr. RUBEL. 13,000 square feet of floor space or about 200,000 cubic feet of storage space. Dr. MUMFORD. Materials can be stacked quite high. Mr. ANDREWS. Is this space under the whole annex? Mr. RUBEL. The part under consideration is in the north half of the building. The south half does not lend itself to this type of improvement because there are too many pipes and other obstructtions that cannot be displaced. Mr. ANDREWS. How do you intend to do this work? Mr. RUBEL. The Architect's staff will prepare the plans and specifications but the construction work itself will have to be done by contract after taking competitive bids. Mr. ANDREWS. Doctor, are you asking elsewhere in this budget. for a lot of money to rent mores space commercially? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes, sir. In the estimates we present directly to you we are asking money for additional rental space for working. The request here is purely for storage. This is not the type of space we will be asking for in the regular budget. We are asking for 220,000 square feet at approximately $4 per square foot. We have not determined at this moment, but by the time we meet with you on May 9 we may be able to say something more definitely about a specific location for rental which we are exploring at this time. Mr. ANDREWS. Are you still occupying space in the old Naval Gun Factory? Dr. MUMFORD. Yes; about 75,000 square feet there. Our card distribution system and work on book catalogs is carried on there. Mr. STEED. Mr. Chairman, will you yield? Mr. ANDREWS. Yes. Mr. STEED. In connection with this proposed new storage space, since I presume to use it would require considerable freight type traffic, how does it lend itself to accessibility to the rest of the building? Dr. MUMFORD. Mr. Berry, will you speak to that? Mr. BERRY. There is a freight elevator now that serves that area. Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Stewart, couldn't you find Dr. Mumford a little space somewhere in the basements of the old buildings over here for temporary storage until the third building is available to alleviate the space situation? Mr. STEWART. Mr. Chairman, one of the main complaints from Members in the Capitol, Senate and House Office Buildings, is lack of adequate storage rooms. I do not know where we can find any more space; in fact, storage conditions now are such that, in some instances, they present a fire hazard. Mr. ANDREWS. We have had complaints about the corridors in the old buildings but we can take that up later. FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN ANNEX What about this item of $30,000 for installation of fire sprinkler systems in the cellar areas of the Annex? Mr. STEWART. Some years ago you provided me with a safety engineer and his job is to look out for fire hazards and items of that nature. This item is requested to install fire sprinkler systems in annex cellar areas where none now exist but should because of the fire hazards involved be installed in the following locations: room assigned for the storage of oil used in the maintenance of mechanical equipment, east end of tunnel between the two buildings used for the temporary parking of box trucks filled with wastepaper awaiting pickup by the wastepaper contractor; receiving and shipping dock at the subbasement, entire annex garage area; and small storage room next to electrical substation A in the northwest section of the cellar. It is also proposed to replace old-type sprinkler heads in the paperbaling room with modern ones and relocate them for more effective and efficient coverage. These improvements are a continuation of a program to provide proper fire protection for the buildings, their occupants, and the valuable materials housed in them. These improvements have been recommended by our safety engineer and are endorsed by the Librarian. Mr. ANDREWS. How firm is this figure of $30,000? Mr. STEWART. That is a firm figure, I would say. Mr. ANDREWS. What percentage of the work needed will this satisfy? Mr. STEWART. Dr. Mumford may wish to answer that question. Mr. ANDREWS. Will this be a continuing program, Doctor? Dr. MUMFORD. This would be one installation, not a continuing program, and would provide protection in the annex. Safety inspections in the main building may identify a few further areas for protection. Mr. ANDREWS. Do you think you could get this work done during the next fiscal year? Dr. MUMFORD. Mr. Rubel would have to answer that. Mr. RUBEL. I am sure we could do it during the year. Mr. ANDREWs. You would do that by contract? Mr. RUBEL. Yes. That is a specialty job. Mr. ANDREWS. How much of your annex and main building are covered by a sprinkler system? Dr. MUMFORD. None of the areas where books are stored are covered by a sprinkler system because it would damage the books. Various other protective measures have been taken in the bookstacks: fire detection and alarm systems. Following the completion of work on the heating-ventilating system in the main building we shall begin a program to close cracks between the floors in the stacks. Steel plates will be placed over those as a fire retarding device. Fire detection systems are being installed in the bookstacks in both buildings. But we do not have sprinklers in the areas of the bookshelves. Mr. ANDREWS. Have you had any fires in the Library or annex since you have been there? |