The University of Missouri has received a $400,000 grant to help restore about 600,000 books damaged by mold.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation on Wednesday. Libraries staff discovered the mold problem in October at an underground storage site in Columbia. Health officials said the mold did not endanger public health.
The university also announced Wednesday part of the grant will be used to form a partnership with Washington University and Missouri State University so it can access replacement copies of federal government documents and have interlibrary loan access to state documents.
Libraries Director Jim Cogswell says the grant plus insurance funds will allow the university to save more than 400,000 of the books, but at least 100,000 books will be destroyed.
