WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congressional safety officials predict the Library of Congress will not be able to fix all fire safety violations that threaten some of the nation's priceless historical treasures for another two years, despite new citations ordering the problems corrected and the building brought up to modern standards.
Congress' health and safety agency, the Office of Compliance, issued seven citations Monday, pointing to "an undue danger to the lives and safety of occupants" of the three Library buildings, especially the domed, 103-year-old Jefferson Building.
The citations listed fire dangers in book stacks, stairwells, book conveyor systems, electrical switch boxes, rare book areas and the storage space for 30,000 audio recordings of the early 1900s treated with a potentially explosive chemical.
The Library's collections include an identical copy of the Gutenberg Bible; Thomas Jefferson's library; one of the largest accumulations of pre-1500 books; Adolf Hitler's personal library; magician Harry Houdini's files; Alexander Graham Bell's notebook; Jelly Roll Morton's early jazz compositions; and contents of Abraham Lincoln's pockets on April 14, 1865, the night he was assassinated (including two pairs of glasses, a lens polisher, a pocket knife, a linen handkerchief, a brown leather wallet with a $5 confederate note, and nine newspaper clippings).
Ken Lauziere, the congressional fire marshal, said the citations are "based on relatively new and in some cases brand new applications of fire codes -- as recently as 1997." He said the buildings were constructed with the fire protection measures of their time, and it will "take some major effort" to apply "contemporary solutions to our historic problems."
Lauziere, who works for the Architect of the Capitol, said his office would seek design funds from Congress in fiscal 2003 and construction money in fiscal 2005. He said only minor fixes can be made right away, including making sure that fire doors close properly and filling up construction openings that could allow smoke and fumes to spread.
"The Library is strongly committed to correcting all these deficiencies and already corrected 76 percent of those that are the Library's responsibility," said spokeswoman Jill Brett, who said the Architect is responsible for most fire safety measures.
"We'll proceed to correcting the remaining 24 percent as quick as possible."
The action came less than a month after the compliance office issued an extensive report on the lack of fire protection at the Library and concluded some of "the most valuable and irreplaceable collections" are in the gravest danger.
The compliance office previously has issued citations for fire safety violations at the Capitol and its congressional office buildings, prompting the Architect of the Capitol to begin an ambitious program to correct the problems -- an effort that won't be completed for years.
In addition to the Jefferson building with its ornate Main Reading Room, the Library also consists of the 62-year-old Adams Building and the 20-year-old Madison Building.
The pre-phonograph recordings are on cylinders coated with a chemical, cellulose nitrate. The chemical also is on microfilm and movie film, with only the movie film stored under safe conditions, the compliance office said.
"Cellulose nitrate is easily ignited, burns with intense heat, and emits gases that are poisonous and flammable," one of the citations said.
Other hazards cited and ordered fixed:
-- Openings between walkways and bookshelves in a 14-tier book storage area, where smoke and toxic fumes could spread rapidly.
-- Lack of exit stairwells and exit pathways in the Jefferson Building that are protected against fire, smoke or toxic fumes.
-- Unprotected openings and inadequate fire resistance in book conveyor systems.
-- An older Halon gas fire suppression system that was not maintained in proper operating condition.
-- Fire doors that were blocked from closing with items such as chairs, wooden wedges, bookends or door stops.
