[MSN] W.E.B. DuBois Library evacuated after fire alarm

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Library evacuated after fire alarm
By: Katie Huston, Collegian Staff
Posted: 12/3/07

W.E.B. DuBois Library was evacuated for 45 minutes on Sunday afternoon when
a fire alarm went off, leaving students out in the cold as it began to snow.

Hundreds of people flowed out of the library's two side doors onto the deck,
zipping jackets and pulling out cell phones, when the alarm sounded at about
2:45 p.m. Though many left, over 100 students waited to retrieve laptops,
books and coats they had left behind.

The fire department and the Environmental Health and Safety department
arrived on the scene within about 10 minutes and were conducting an
investigation, according to Jay Schafer, director of libraries at the
University of Massachusetts. At the time of press, library officials were
unable to comment on the cause of the alarm.

Soon after, library officials told students that the alarm was not a drill,
and asked students to evacuate the deck for safety reasons. Bystanders
flooded the Student Union and nearby academic buildings until they were
allowed back in at 3:30 p.m.

Several students expressed frustration at being interrupted during the
end-of-semester crunch.

"It's very inconvenient. I was in the middle of writing a 10-page paper. I
have no time the rest of the week to do it," said Mark Kohls, an electrical
engineering student. He had saved his story on one of the library computers.
"It's in there and not on my laptop in my room, or I'd leave."

Students like freshman Pranav Patel didn't think most people were worried.

"We have to pretty much see the fire to worry about the fire," he said.

Brett Willie, who was waiting for his cell phone, felt the same way.

"I'm kind of curious what it is, but I'm not really worried about anything,"
he said.

R.J. Boutelle, a junior English major, had arrived to work at the Writing
Center. 

"If it turns out there's something actually wrong, I'm glad they were
actually effective in evacuating the library," he said. "In the event that
it's just a prank, it's a little annoying, given the weather conditions."

The library periodically holds drills, according to a library official who
asked to remain unnamed, but yesterday's evacuation was not scheduled. 

Katie Huston can be reached at managingeditor at dailycollegian.com.

http://www.dailycollegian.com/