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  2. Boca Raton Campus Library Tropical Cyclone Emergency Plan

Boca Raton Campus Library Tropical Cyclone Emergency Plan

Last Reviewed: July 16, 2026

Building Supervisor - Dean of Libraries
(Dr. Linda Golian-Lui)
Office Phone (561) 297-3789

1st Alternate Building Supervisor. - Assistant Dean for Access, Research, and Learning Services
(Anna Ayoung-Stoute)
Office Phone (561) 297-7461

2nd Alternate Building Supervisor. - Assistant Director, Support Services
(Steven Matthew)
Office Phone (561) 297-4027

Library Essential Personnel: Dr. Linda Golian-Lui (561-297-3717), Amy Kornblau (561-297-3789), Anna Ayoung-Stoute (297-1461), Steven Matthew (561-297-4027), Mahesh Neelakanta (561-297-2742), Hansy Ambroise (561-297-2069), Yom Chouloute (561-297-3793), Crystal Moro (561-297-4392), Hector Moyet (561-297-2068), Victoria Thur (561-297-3787), John Cutrone (561-297-0455), Eric Bush (561-297-3165), Alethea Perez (561-297-0080), Laurie Grant (297-6762), Badara Taal (561-297-0350), Leah Plocharczyk (561-799-8685), Marilee Brown (561-799-8010), Maris Hayashi (297-4317) , Danielle Rose (561-297-3764), Tina Angelo, Business Assistant at HBOI (772-528-9501), Will Muniz (561-297-4891)

TROPICAL STORM/HURRICANE WATCH PREPARATIONS

  1. Building Supervisor (or in her/his absence, next alternate) will notify the Senior Leadership Team, Unit Heads and the Dean's Office (561-297-6762 or 561-297-0349) to follow procedures to protect equipment identified in the Tropical Cyclone Emergency Plan.

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

  3. Building Supervisor, Senior Leadership Team, and Unit Heads will arrange to move portable equipment and cover stationary equipment with weighted and/or taped plastic sheets. TROPICAL CYCLONE SUPPLIES WILL BE STORED IN EACH UNIT.

    • It is the responsibility of the respective Senior Leadership Team member or Unit Head to draft a list of equipment to be protected and to provide this list to the Building Supervisor or Alternate.

    • It is further the responsibility of these area supervisors to identify members of their respective staff who might expect to be able to participate in tropical cyclone preparations. This list should also be provided to the Building Supervisor or Alternate.

  4. Building Supervisor, Alternates, Senior Leadership Team, and Unit Heads should each review University Policy 3.4.1: Emergency Management.

  5. A battery-operated/hand-crank radio and flashlight will be kept in the Dean's Office (LY 242), Research and Instructional Services (LY 148), Collection Management (LY 102), Information Technology Services (LY 313) and Jupiter Campus Library.

  6. At least one flashlight will be kept in each unit. 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.

  7. 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 S. E. WIMBERLY LIBRARY

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

  1. Notify the Senior Leadership Team, Unit Heads, the Dean’s Office, Coordinator of Computer Labs, and the Computer center (OIT) that the Library is closing. Supervisors will assure that their prearranged procedures for protecting unit equipment have been or are being accomplished and 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, key Access Services personnel will attempt to contact the Building Supervisor. If Building Supervisor or alternates are not available or are unable to come on campus, key Access Services staff who are familiar with the procedures involved in closing the building will carry out evacuation and closing procedures in place of the Building Supervisor.
     
  2. Notify Access Services Unit staff to evacuate patrons and close building according to the following procedure: 
    1. 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 RESPONSE PERSONNEL SHOULD LEAVE THE CAMPUS."

    1. The above announcement is made 10 minutes before closing and repeated once. 

    2. 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 RESPONSE PERSONNEL SHOULD LEAVE THE CAMPUS. THE LIBRARY IS NOT A PUBLIC SHELTER AND MUST BE CLOSED."

    1. The doors to the library are locked. 

    2. The Access Services 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. 

    3. An Access Services staff member remains at the Access Services Desk to watch for emergency personnel and answer the telephone while the final check is made. 

    4. Upon completion of the final check, ending approximately 15 minutes after the closing of the Library, the lights in the Access Services area are turned off and the doors are re-checked for proper locking.

EQUIPMENT/ITEMS TO BE PROTECTED IN EVENT OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE
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. All equipment moved should be tagged or labeled with the unit's or person's name for later identification. 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

  1. Access Services (Assistant Director, Support Services, Task Owner) 

    1. Records, files, etc. - C

    2. PCs and peripherals - U

    3. PCs near windows - U, C

    4. Desks and files near windows - C

    5. Photocopier - U, C

    6. Loaded book trucks near windows - M

    7. Public photocopy machines on all floors -U

  2. Administrative Suite (Special Projects Coordinator, Task Owner) 

    1. Notify SEFLIN (877) 733-5460 toll-free, Hillel of Broward and Palm Beach (561) 297-4100 FAU Broward Campuses, Jupiter Campus and the Harbor Branch Campus that FAU Boca Raton Campus is closing.

    2. File cabinets - C

    3. PCs - U, C

    4. Printers - U, C

    5. Secure Staff Lounge - Unplug microwave and refrigerator.

  3. Building-General (Building Supervisor, Task Owner) 

    1. Check all electrical equipment (assure that all units are unplugged from electrical outlets)

  4. Digital Initiatives Equipment (Assistant Dean for Access, Research, and Learning Services, Task Owner) 

    1. Relocate any materials on trucks to LY 221 -  C

    2. PCs, printers, scanners in LY 221, LY 222- U, C

  5. Collection Management (Assistant Dean for Collection Strategies and Discovery Services, Task Owner) – Includes all staff whose work spaces are located in LY 102, LY 109, and LY 111. 

    1. File cabinets - C

    2. PCs, mobile devices, printers - U, C

    3. Air Filter - U, C

    4. Photocopier – U, C 

    5. Microwave, coffee pots -U

    6. Any physical library materials or shipments near windows - M

  6. Interlibrary Loan (Head of Interlibrary Loan, Task Owner) 

    1. Notify FLVC, TBLC, Rapid and the ILL listserv that FAU ILL is being shut down. Change OCLC status to non-lender (go lower case).

    2. Scanners - M, U, C

    3. PCs, printers, copiers, scanners and copy machines - U, C

  7. Media Center (Assistant Director, Support Services, Task Owner)

    1. Records, files, etc. - C

    2. PCs and peripherals - U

    3. PCs near windows - U, C

    4. Desks and files near windows - C

    5. Loaded book trucks near windows - M

  8. Research and Instructional Services (Assistant Dean for Access, Research, and Learning Services, Task Owner) 

    1. PCs, printers, scanners and copy machines - U, C

    2. Photocopy Machine - U, C

  9. Special Collections/JCBA/RSA (Assistant Dean for Special Collections, Archives, & Distinctive Collections, Manager, Recorded Sound Archives, and Director, JCBA, Task Owners)

Locations:
S. E. Wimberly 2nd Floor East: SpC&A reception (LY 261); processing room (LY 254); closed stacks (LY 263); supply room (LY 265); staff offices (LY 259, LY 262)
S. E. Wimberly 3rd Floor East: Jaffe Book Arts Center reception (LY 350); book arts studio (LY 350B); Alan B and Charna Larkin American Presidential Study (LY 330); (closed stacks (LY 350C); storage (LY 350G); staff offices (LY 350D, LY 350E, LY 350F); collections gallery (LY 351); curator's office (LY 351C); letterpress studio (LY 318A); staff room (LY 318C)
S. E. Wimberly 5th Floor: SpC&A (room LY 501A)
S. E. Wimberly 5th Floor Recorded Sound Archives (room LY 501, LY 501B, LY 510,LY 515)
Wimbish 5th Floor: University Club Conference Room (LY 552); Weiner space (LY 550, LY 551, LY 554)

    1. Archival materials near windows - M
    2. PCs and peripherals - U, C
    3. All computer equipment near windows - U, C
    4. Boxes on floor: Move to bottom shelves or pallets
    5. Papermaking equipment - M, C (as necessary) / Print equipment - U
    6. One small refrigerator and microwave on the 5th floor in RSA (room LY 501B) – U 
  2. External Relations (Communications Officer, Task Owner)
    1. Telephone- U, C
    2. File Cabinets- C
    3. PCs, printers- U, C
    4. Photocopy machine- U, C
    5. Microwave, coffee machine- U 
  3. Information Technology Services (ITS) (Director of Information Technology Services, Task Owner)
    1. Keep all servers running (Specialist, Computer Applications responsible)
    2. All other equipment in LY 313 – U, E If equipment is near a window – M, U, C
    3. PCs, printers, and other peripheral equipment in student and staff areas – U, E. If equipment is near a window - M, U, C. In work areas, coordinate with persons responsible for the areas to ensure protection. (The time to start these preparations will be decided by the Director of Information Technology Services in consultation with the Dean of University Libraries.) The Research and Instructional Services student computer area should be the last area to be shutdown.
    4. An email should be sent to LibStaff@fau.edu to remind library staff to:
      - Save any important work related files to their unit shared drive 
      - Submit a ticket to ITS (https://library.fau.edu/support) if their PC is located near a window
      - If ITS assistance is not needed, shutdown and unplug staff PCs before the library closes
      (This email should be sent out at least twice during the tropical cyclone preparations timeframe. (Specialist, Computer Applications, responsible)
    5. In coordination with Assistant Director, Support Services, notify FLVC (help@flvc.org) that FAU is closing due to approaching tropical storm/hurricane and that all Alma functions are being terminated. (Specialist, Computer Applications will perform this function in the absence of the Director of Information Technology Services)
    6. In coordination with Assistant Director, Support Services, notify FLVC (help@flvc.org) as soon as possible if the FAU Libraries reopens earlier than anticipated to request that the hours be adjusted so that the due hour is correct. (Specialist, Computer Applications will perform this function in the absence of the Director of Information Technology Services) (Return to Campus Task)
    7. ITS staff will need a minimum of three hours to set-up student computer areas/public services desks prior to the library opening after the storm. (Return to Campus Task) 
  4. Development Office (Director of Development, Task Owner)
    1. PCs and peripherals in LY 127 – U, C 
  5. Gruber Sandbox (Sandbox Manager and Sandbox Professors, Task Owners)
    1. PCs near windows – U, M, C
    2. PCs in cubicles and open area - U, C
    3. Robot Dog - U, M, C
    4. VR Equipment - U, M, C
Last modified at 07/27/2026 - 13:57 PM