The Challenge: The Alma Jordan Library of the University of the West Indies had a unique challenge. It was necessary to find a way to fumigate its compact storage collection in preparation for its relocation to a new purpose built facility. With a limited budget and no access to a large scale book fumigation chamber an alternative method had to be found.

The Solution: Frank Soodeen Jr, Campus Librarian and Dyaram Sookram, the library's Chief Engineering Technician designed a book fumigation chamber. The design is modular in that it allows for the chamber to be dismantled and reinstalled in various sizes depending on the quantity of materials to be fumigated. Wood was used to construct the chamber.

Teamwork: On a sunny Saturday morning the men of the Alma Jordan Library gathered to work on the project and to "lime" (i.e. the Trinidadian word meaning to hang out with food, celebrate and have a good time). We recognise the efforts of Ahmed Ali, Jarod Cadette, Marc Chandler, Marlon Edmund, Leroy Herbert, Selwyn Khan, Alvin McGregor, Sham Narine, George Panda, Kyle St. Louis, Frank Soodeen Jr., and Dyaram Sookram in making this project possible.

Benefits:

• The physical chamber was created at a very affordable price.
• It has Potential for income earning because we were able to loan the chamber to another department on the campus
• We were able to Identify other skills among the library staff and to note the informal leaders within the organization
• Teamwork and fostering greater cross departmental collaboration
• This energy has carried over to other initiatives in the library

Caribbean Library Journal wants to hear about your projects! Send us photos and a description of what you have done differently at your organisation.

We are Caribbean, We create and we innovate!

Caribbean Library Journal is an open access, refereed journal of research and discussion on issues related to all aspects of libraries and librarianship in the Caribbean.