$2.5K Reward for Info About Fire at UMaine’s Fogler Library
University officials are offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for this week's fire at the Fogler Library.
I spent years in those stacks, doing research and studying for exams. I remember, once, when a professor woke me up after I literally fell asleep with my head on my books. It's a beautiful library and certainly not deserving of arson.
But that's what fire officials at the University of Maine say happened on Wednesday. Fire crews were called to the Fogler Library at around 9:00 Wednesday night, and quickly knocked down the fire that was located in the ceiling over the stacks. About 50 books were damaged in the fire. The staff did a quick clean-up and were able to reopen the library at 10:00 the next morning, although some areas remain closed.
Now, the State Fire Marshal's Office says the fire was deliberately set, and officials want to know who's responsible. So the University of Maine Police Department and the Division of Student Life are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the guilty person(s). Anyone who thinks they may have information can call 207-581-4040 or report it online.
The Fogler Library has been around since 1947, although construction started even sooner. The foundation was laid in 1941, but construction wasn't completed until 1947, because of World War II. It was named the Raymond H. Fogler Library in 1962, after the Maine native and former University of Maine student who served as the Assistant Secretary to the Navy.