Last Reviewed: July 16, 2026

Building Supervisor – Director
(Leah Plocharczyk)
Office Phone (561) 799-8685

1st Alternate Building Supervisor – Interlibrary Loan Specialist
(Nasir Khan)
Office Phone: (561) 799-8869

Library Essential Personnel: Leah Plocharczyk (561) 799-8685, Marilee Brown, (561) 799-8530, Nasir Khan (561) 799-8869

TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE WATCH PREPARATIONS  

1. The Building Supervisor (or 1st Alternate) follows procedures to protect equipment identified in the Tropical Cyclone Emergency Plan.

2. Building Supervisor and 1st Alternate should communicate with each other to ascertain whether help is needed or if it is not necessary to come on campus. 

3. Building Supervisor will arrange to move portable equipment and cover stationary equipment with weighted and/or taped plastic sheets.  TROPICAL CYCLONE SUPPLIES WILL BE STORED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: MC 105C, MC 107 AND/OR MC 202B.

4. It is the responsibility of the Interlibrary Loan Specialist to draft a list of equipment to be protected and to provide this list to the Building Supervisor.  An additional responsibility is to identify members of the staff who would be participating in tropical cyclone preparations.

5. Building Supervisor Representatives and Alternates should each review University Policy 3.4.1: Emergency Management.

6. A battery-operated/hand-crank radio, flashlight, and batteries will be kept in the rear staff area (MC 107) and a flashlight will be kept at the service desk.    

7. Batteries should be tested each month during the hurricane season (June 1 – November 30) and at the time of a tropical storm or hurricane watch.

8. If a tropical cyclone seems to be approaching over a weekend, we will make tropical cyclone preparations in the library on the Friday prior to the weekend. This may be in advance of any tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings. As storm paths may be unpredictable, equipment preparations should be made before the weekend.

TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE WARNING EVACUATION OF JUPITER CAMPUS LIBRARY (Building Supervisor, Task Owner)

Upon official notification that a Tropical Storm or Hurricane Warning is in effect, the Building Supervisor will close the Library as follows: 

1. Notify Dean of Libraries when the Library is closing.  The Building Supervisor will assure that the prearranged procedures for protecting building equipment have been or are being accomplished and will notify employees to evacuate the building for home or other safe shelter as soon as possible.  If notification to close occurs on a weekend or at night, the senior staff member will attempt to contact the Building Supervisor.  If the Building Supervisor or 1st Alternate is not available or is unable to come on campus, staff who are familiar with the procedures involved in closing the building will carry out evacuation and closing procedures.
2. Evacuate patrons and close building according to the following procedure: 
3. An initial closing announcement is made and repeated once. If a change in the proposed announcement is necessary, it is determined at this time.  Otherwise, the prescribed announcement is: 
    

   “YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE.  A TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN DECLARED FOR THIS AREA.  AT THIS TIME ALL PERSONS EXCEPT EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SHOULD LEAVE THE CAMPUS.”

4. The above announcement is made 10 minutes before closing and repeated once. 
5. A final announcement is made and repeated once at closing time:
    

   “THE LIBRARY IS NOW CLOSED.  ALL UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS MUST LEAVE THE BUILDING AT THIS TIME.  A TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN DECLARED FOR THIS AREA.  ALL PERSONS EXCEPT EMERGENCY PERSONNEL SHOULD LEAVE THE CAMPUS.  THE LIBRARY IS NOT A PUBLIC SHELTER AND MUST BE CLOSED.”

6. The doors to the Library are locked. 
7. The Building Supervisor and available staff make a check of all floors of the building, including restrooms and the group study rooms, to ascertain that all patrons have left the building.  Lights are turned off on each building floor and in rooms as they are checked.  Office and study room doors are closed and locked. 
8. A staff member remains at the Service Desk to answer calls and watch for emergency personnel and calls Campus Police (cell phone: (561) 339-0015) to notify them that the building is closed and staff are leaving campus.
9.  Upon completion of the final check, ending approximately 5 minutes after the closing of the Library, the lights in the Service Desk area are turned off and the doors are re-checked for proper locking. 

LOCATION OF TROPICAL CYCLONE SUPPLIES

Plastic sheeting is stored in MC 105C and MC 107.

Boxes of plastic on each floor of the building are labeled for compact shelving, art books, children’s books, reference, and comfortable seating.  39-gallon bags (stored in a plastic bag) are for covering TV monitors, printers, and similar smaller equipment.  Second floor book ranges (under vulnerable ceiling tiles) should be covered.

EQUIPMENT/ITEMS TO BE PROTECTED IN EVENT OF A
 TROPICAL CYCLONE (Building Supervisor, Task Owner)

The following is a checklist of equipment/items, by unit or functional area to be protected. Unless otherwise noted, these items should be moved to protected areas of the building, if feasible. If there is not enough time or staff available to move items needing protection, all electronic and electrical equipment left in place should be unplugged from the power source, elevated off the floor, if possible, moved away from windows, and covered with plastic sheeting. All office doors should be closed and locked.

Abbreviations: 
E = Elevate, if feasible
M = Move, if feasible
U = Unplug
C = Cover with sheeting

• All equipment in the collaborative study rooms – U, C, E
• Assistive technology station – U, C
• Black air purifiers for the book stacks - U
• Blue study tables - U
• Children’s book collection – C
• Vulnerable areas in 2nd floor stacks – C and if feasible place towels on window sills in staff kitchen, room MC 107, and northern facing window on the first floor.
• Donation station – C, M
• Gray study table (upstairs) – U
• Individual study pods - U
• Large, round overhead lamp (upstairs) - U
• Microwave, refrigerator – U 
• Network printer/copiers – U, C – make note of how they were unplugged so they can easily be restored to service. 
• Study booth (atrium) – U, C
• Printing pay station – U, C
• Public PCs & service desk PCs, including second floor PCs – U, C, E
• Self-service check-out station – U, C
• Smart locker (atrium) – U, C
• SmartKapp (1 upstairs, 1 downstairs) – U
• Three book scanners – U, C
• Vending Machines (atrium) – coordinate with Michelle Kominarek, Academic Operations and Facilities departments.
• Writing Center, room MC 202B — writing center staff are responsible for unplugging, moving, and covering their equipment and items.
• Golf Cart - Moved to the Education & Classroom Building and placed flush to building under sheltered alcove. 
• If artwork is on display, these will be taken down, and stored in a study room.  Items in staff offices will be taken care of by staff. Co-workers secure items in offices of staff who are not on campus during this time. 

POST TROPICAL CYCLONE PROCEDURES (Building Supervisor, Task Owner - Return to Campus Task)

FIRST ITEMS TO BE CHECKED: 

A)    Be certain the structural integrity of building was checked before entering.

B)    Be certain of electrical conditions inside building. 

C)    Determine condition of computers, printers, and copiers.

D)    Determine condition of library materials (i.e. books, DVDs, etc.).

FOR CLEANUP AND PHYSICAL REPAIRS: 

For general cleanup, call Don Cole, Facilities Management (phone (561) 213-1289, Michelle Kominarek, Academic Operations (561) 799-8105, or submit a work order. 

An inventory of the computer equipment and furniture, with property tags, is kept as a digital object.  Replacement value of PCs is approximately $1000 each.

VENDORS AND CONTACTS FOR REPAIRS OF CRITICAL EQUIPMENT: 

A)   Computers - submit a ticket at https://library.fau.edu/support Information Technology Services (ITS) Unit.
B)   Copiers – Toshiba: (800) 526-7926.