by Al Greenwood
Daily Cougar Staff
University of Houston students trying to study or do last-minute digging for information to include in research papers were a little more than uncomfortable last week after the UH Utility Services Department shut down some of the air conditioners in M.D. Anderson Library for testing.
All three floors and the basement of the library's Red Wing had no air conditioning from Monday until 1 p.m. Thursday. This area includes the computer area, the reference area and the Honors College.
"It's down, but it's not broken," said Marcel Blanchard, director of utility services.
He said the tests will determine problems in the library's air conditioner
"I know we're done with the (Red Wing)," Blanchard said. "In a week or two, the analysis will be complete" for the entire library.
"We'll do everything we can not to conflict," Blanchard said.
He said Utility Services will avoid working on weekends and holidays because that adds substantially to the cost of the project because of overtime.
"There are 100 different findings in the library," Blanchard said. "Everything we've seen is repairable."
While Utility Services will soon complete the analysis, the major repairs won't start until September, Blanchard said. By then, Utility Services will receive funds for the repairs.
"We're doing this all over the campus," Blanchard said. Engineers are already inspecting Agnes Arnold Hall, he said. However, Utility Services will not work in the residence halls.
After the repairs, "it ought to be much more comfortable," Blanchard said. The buildings will also have better temperature control.
The library's air conditioner has shut down before, said Judy Myers, the assistant to the director of the library.
Last fall, "there were problems with the air handler just in the front of the building," Myers said. "It was several months before they fixed it."