[MSN] A fire damaged books in the gay and lesbian section and the African American section of a Chicago Public Library facility in the Lake View neighborhood, officials said Wednesday.

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Gay and lesbian books damaged in fire at library 

June 14, 2006

FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS 

A fire damaged books in the gay and lesbian section and the African American
section of a Chicago Public Library facility in the Lake View neighborhood,
officials said Wednesday.

About noon Tuesday, library personnel found a small fire on the second floor
of the Chicago Public Library's John M. Merlo branch at 644 W. Belmont, and
they were able to extinguish it themselves, according to library spokeswoman
Maggie Killackey. The first floor of the library branch remained open while
staff put out the fire, she said.

The fire damaged 90 books in the gay and lesbian section of the branch, and
10 books in the African American section, Killackey said.

No one was injured in the fire, she said. "We're very pleased the library
was able to stay open to the public," she added.

Chicago Police were investigating the incident, according to Killackey.
Police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor could not immediately provide
information about the incident as of about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

According to the Chicago Public Library's Web site, the Merlo branch was
built in 1942 and renovated in 1988. Originally named the Lake View branch,
its name changed in June 1993 in honor of the community leader and longtime
politician who lived in Lake View and died in 1992. 

The branch contains a general collection of books with an emphasis on
business, literature and fine arts, according to the Web site. It also has
special NatureConnections, Judaica/Holocaust and Lesbian and Gay Literature
collections, the Web site says.

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