Fire in the Library

pretty*monster

I friend of mine texted me to say that the library was evacuated this evening due to a fire. Two fire brigades arrived at the scene and students were not permitted to re-enter the building. Apparently smoke was seen coming from the short loan collection.

Was anyone there? Anyone hear any more information?

passive

Not the library! That's where all the books live!!!!!!111!!1!!11 :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

dajaffa

People were Told to leave the Arts block at 21:50 (which yes I know is the usual time anyway!) because there was a small fire in the library but they still had to follow procedure.

besty

You Were In The Library?:eek:

TheVan

I was there but didn't see anything. Then again I just assumed it was some joker pulling the alarm.

However I did meet a friend outside who was breathless saying she had seen smoke coming from the short-loan section.

At least there isn't much flammable material there...

passive

at 21:50 (which yes I know is the usual time anyway!)

'tis open til 11, no?

Blush_01

Yeah, apparently there was a fire in the library. Maybe CTN will post in the morning to fill us in.

TheVan

Ooooh burn....

Chakar

Anybody know what class mark smoke came from?

Hopefully the 'fire' stayed away from 300-330 section.

arbeitsscheuer

besty wrote:

You Were In The Library?:eek:

Like besty, I am shocked and appalled at these revelations.
Students studying. Whatever is the world coming too...

P.S. I hope the fire stayed the fcuk away from the Postgrad Room.

TheVan wrote:

Ooooh burn....

Heh, funny on many levels...

panda100

My flatmate was in the library last nite . Everyone thought it was just a fire drill and so left their books cos they thought they'd be allowed back to get them. Apparently the escalators and emergency exits were all cornered off so no one could go back into get their stuff and had to leave it there over night.

inverted_world

Oh dear, this is more frightening for me than it should be... Any more info on this? I should really know myself, but I'm taking a "mental health day" today....

Red Alert

There's an automatic shutter that protects the stairwell from becoming a funnel for the fire - it closes over the top of the escalator on top.

Short loan closed this morning - no mention of a fire on the notice.

Scraggs

I bet you anything the one book I need is the one book that got damaged:(

humbert

was in it this morning and the short loans collection was closed with fire damage signs up.

Sangre

How in God's name would a fire start in the SLC?

stolenwine

What do you mean... the librarians didn't rescue the books one by one in a chain line. :eek: !

humbert

electrical? lost umpalumpa decided to stop and have a smoke before continuing her quest to find the exit?

Scraggs

Librocop is so hot he spontaneously combusted??

Spectator#1

Some radical group booby trapped a Cecilia Aherne book in the Trash section of the SLC. The poor sociology student didn't stand a chance. It exploded as soon as she opened it and her make-up melted all over her face, it's pretty nasty.

Details are sparse at the moment but all we know for certain is that they're calling themselves the Illiterati and they're demanding Dan Browne's head or they'll do it again.

Jonny Arson

Yes, I heard that too Scraggs. The temperature after him getting jiggy with all those groupies in the SLC was too hot for all those books to handle...

Librocop, lived as hero, died as a hero

Darkbloom

I was there. It's actually not as exciting as it sounds. There was a ceiling panel with smoke coming out of it near the ground floor escalators. About ten seconds after the librarians noticed it they hit the evacuation alarm. Fin.

Riamfada

i have an essay to hand in tomorrow and all the books I need are in SLC. What a pain in the hole

Red Alert

Wonder what it was then so - is that where level 2 1/2 is then? was thinking possibly a burnt escalator motor but they were all running today - could have been a vent fan going caput!

generalmiaow

I suppose it had to be an electrical fault of SOME kind. Unless it was the lights or heating. Maybe we'll hear the real story some time.

Sinfonia

Is it Librocop or Libocop??

I thought it was Libocop...like Robocop...

generalmiaow

SumGuy wrote:

Is it Librocop or Libocop??

I thought it was Libocop...like Robocop...

Definitely Librocop. It is based on Robocop though.

It's a pity we don't have Terminator instead, he could have walked into the fire.

I mean... ...if we have to have a cyborg.

mloc

I know a few people who had to leave laptops etc behind, to be told they couldn't get them back until this morning. Not really great if you've a thesis deadline for Friday and really need to get at your files.

One guy even returned to find his disk key stolen from his laptop.

inverted_world

mloc wrote:

I know a few people who had to leave laptops etc behind, to be told they couldn't get them back until this morning. Not really great if you've a thesis deadline for Friday and really need to get at your files.

One guy even returned to find his disk key stolen from his laptop.

So what were they meant to do? If people had been let back in to get their stuff, and they had been injured, the library would have been in serious trouble for not following correct procedures.

delta_bravo

On a sort of related matter... I was queing to enter the library yesterday. There was a man in front of me who was obviously replacing the fire extinguishers, he was carrying 3 in each hand. He couldnt manouver past the turnstile so he asked could i swipe him. No problem, he got through. I wasnt sure if i could get entry, tried and i couldnt. Was told just to go up to the front desk and reset the card.

I explained it to the lady at the desk. She went ballistic and threatened to confiscate my card and fine me/ban me etc. I couldnt believe it. When i explained the situation she just got even ruder. She starting saying "he couldve been anyone etc". She almost refused to give me my card back. Im a bit p*ssed off with this. Getting a earful for doing what I thought was being helpful.
Rant over

mloc

admin staff are bred to be ignorant

Spectator#1

Some of the library staff are getting a reputation for being ignorant, I wouldn't begrudge their not allowing people in straight after a fire alert, that's a matter of course I suppose, but I've been treated quite rudely there a number of times with very little justification.

One of my lecturers, an internationally renowned academic who's been working here for about twenty years couldn't get his staff card to swipe one day when he was coming in to do some research last year, he said it at the desk, and even though they all knew who he was and recognised him from working there, they still wouldn't let him in!

delta_bravo

mloc wrote:

admin staff are bred to be ignorant

I think some people in it are very nice and helpful, however the small minority of staff ( 2 in particular ) seem to be on a power trip. Its incredibly rude and annoying

Red Alert

there's a few real nice people in the library but they're always either on the top floor or the returns desk.

there was no need to be so rude when she or librocop must have seen fire guy. in fact they weren't doing their job not to swipe him in the special access gate for things like that or disabled people.

delta_bravo

Red Alert wrote:

in fact they weren't doing their job not to swipe him in the special access gate for things like that or disabled people.

I realised that, but at the time I felt if i had pointed it out to her, she would've taken my card. Any time I spoke back to her she retracted her hand as I went to take my card back.

funky penguin

Mmmmmmm....SLC smells of fresh paint today.

cast_iron

delta_bravo wrote:

I realised that, but at the time I felt if i had pointed it out to her, she would've taken my card. Any time I spoke back to her she retracted her hand as I went to take my card back.

That's actually very funny.

Bison

delta_bravo wrote:

On a sort of related matter... I was queing to enter the library yesterday. There was a man in front of me who was obviously replacing the fire extinguishers, he was carrying 3 in each hand. He couldnt manouver past the turnstile so he asked could i swipe him. No problem, he got through. I wasnt sure if i could get entry, tried and i couldnt. Was told just to go up to the front desk and reset the card.

I explained it to the lady at the desk. She went ballistic and threatened to confiscate my card and fine me/ban me etc. I couldnt believe it. When i explained the situation she just got even ruder. She starting saying "he couldve been anyone etc". She almost refused to give me my card back. Im a bit p*ssed off with this. Getting a earful for doing what I thought was being helpful.
Rant over

I'm not advocating telling lies, but unfortunately life is often made easier by not telling the complete truth to someone who doesn't have the power or intelligence to bend the rules.

Red Alert

Turns out it was a PA system. Not saying it was a coverup, but it's pretty hard for PA equipment in general to on fire - especially seen as that system wasn't in use any more. Something's not quite right about all this.

cast_iron

Well, on a technicality, PA would be considered electrical.

Depending on the system, they usually operate at 24V DC - which means electrical faults are a likely culprit.

Without any more details, one couldn't tell anymore about the situation.

Red Alert

PA Equipment of that sort usually operates at 100V Peak, but that system is never used for music, so normally it'd be sitting at zero. It's centrally amplified so there's no mains or 24V power to each speaker either.

An electrical fault in the amplifier could cause a fire, but that would normally confine itself to there. Also if a dangerous voltage appeared on the speaker line you'd hear it too!

gubbie

Red Alert wrote:

PA Equipment of that sort usually operates at 100V Peak, but that system is never used for music, so normally it'd be sitting at zero. It's centrally amplified so there's no mains or 24V power to each speaker either.

An electrical fault in the amplifier could cause a fire, but that would normally confine itself to there. Also if a dangerous voltage appeared on the speaker line you'd hear it too!

You should write a letter to them

Do it...

Chakar

I agree with gubbie you should construct a letter based on the information from the article and from your knowledge in engineering.It would be good.

johnnyrotten

pretty*monster wrote:

Two fire brigades arrived at the scene and students were not permitted to re-enter the building. Apparently smoke was seen coming from the short loan collection.

Theres only 1 Fire Brigade in Dublin

drdre

johnnyrotten wrote:

Theres only 1 Fire Brigade in Dublin

funky penguin

BRAIIIINNSSSS!!!!

Itchy Itch Scott etc.