CHI students join Jagger Library Salvage Project

Following the recent wildfire at the University of Cape Town (UCT), volunteers were needed to help with salvage operations at the university's Jagger Library.

CHI students Stephen Kamuli and Aqeela Imamdin heeded the call for volunteers to help recover archival materials housed within the Jagger Reading Room.

On the first day Imamdin assisted, the team was directed to the basement of the library to unpack the shelves from the rare books collection and take them up to be stored elsewhere. "Books that were identified as damaged were taken up to be salvaged or treated in a work tent opposite the library – I believe this was a joint effort on the part of the library staff, volunteers, and Gift of the Givers,” she said.

"The work involved sorting out the wet books from the dry ones, organising crates that were to be used for carrying out the books and carrying crates with books to a transport vehicle where they would be kept in a dry and secure place,” Kamuli says.

Salvage operations ran over several days and Imamdin returned for another shift. "Some of us formed a human chain to move the packed books out of the library, others were stationed at the delivery venue and unpacked the books there. There were also some who went through the shelves to take down the metal book-ends." Nothing was left behind, she adds.