Killam Library begins removing offensive graffiti
(Re: Letters to the Editor: Racist graffiti must go, Dec. 9)
Dear editor:
Thank you for your story about the graffiti in the Killam Library. We, too, are saddened and disgusted by the racist and anti-Semitic graffiti.
Clean-up on the graffiti in the Killam has begun; some of the graffiti in the washrooms has already been removed. On Dec. 17, 10 bulletin boards in quiet study rooms will be painted to cover graffiti. We are waiting to do this work after students are finished their exams to limit the disruption.
Some of the graffiti is on the original rosewood tables in the Killam. This graffiti is considerably more expensive and time-consuming to remove. To date, some of the rosewood carrel tops have been removed and replaced with small study tables. We are looking into getting more small replacement tables because the cost of having the rosewood refinished is prohibitive.
We have been working closely with Dalhousie’s Security Services and Facilities Management on this situation. Currently, we are focusing our efforts on keeping the washrooms and stairwells as free of graffiti as possible. These are the locations where most of the hateful graffiti was found, likely because they are the most out of the way. Custodial staff are adding the restrooms and the stairwells to their rounds for daily graffiti checks and Security Services will provide staff with a training session on what types of graffiti they may encounter and how to document and report each incident.
Finally, Dalhousie Security Services will be leading a public education campaign about graffiti at Dalhousie in the coming months which we will be actively participating in. We hope that with these efforts, graffiti in the Killam Library will be a thing of the past. We appreciate the support that the Dal Libraries have received from Facilities Management and Security in addressing this issue.
Sincerely,
Donna Bourne-Tyson
University Libraries
Joyline Makani
Head, Killam Memorial Library
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Read the original graffiti cover story from the Nov. 22 edition of the Gazette.
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