Updated at 5:21 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2020. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the university did not make announcements on the university website regarding the situation.
According to the university library website the Halle Library ground and first floors are open for regular use as of Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 9:00 a.m. Programming and meetings scheduled prior to 9:00 a.m. remained to be cancelled. The second and third floors remain closed until further notice from the university, with programming on said floors being cancelled.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Eastern Michigan University unexpectedly closed Halle Library temporarily due to an “emergency smoke alert” according to the library’s Instagram page.
A university communications email sent to all university staff and students stated that a malfunctioning air handler caused smoke in the building. The air handler was located on the roof of the library.
The notification was sent out at 10:37 a.m. on Tuesday morning, conflicting with a number of classes which are offered within the building, specifically classes that begin at 11:00 a.m. At the time of the notification, the building was being ventilated. Additional fans and scrubbers were installed within the building in order to ventilate and remove smoke and odor. Classes held within Halle were cancelled for the day, with the university asking professors to directly contact students regarding specific “course needs or information”.
A paper sign was placed on the front entrance of the building, with “building closed until further notice”. It appears the front entrance doors were locked following the alert to prevent entry.
According to the university, no injuries resulted from the smoke in the building. It does not appear that the library collection was damaged by the smoke.
