Fire guts university library<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of thousands of books and reports of
\nscientific researches were lost when fire gutted Udayana
\nUniversity's library in Denpasar, Bali, yesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The Antara news agency reported that only smoking debris was
\nleft of the two-story building. Chief librarian Tirtayasa said
\nthat only a small number of the library's collection of 200,000
\nbooks were salvaged.<\/p>\n
Among the items saved from the fire were nine volumes of books
\non first president Sukarno's collection of statues and paintings.
\nThe employees were also able to save seven computers and a
\ntelevision set.<\/p>\n
Asked to estimate the financial loss, Tirtayasa said: \"Our
\nloss cannot be measured in money, because scientific works cannot
\nbe measured in such a way.\"<\/p>\n
Hundreds of students, and dozens of residents from areas
\naround the campus and police officers helped fire fighters put
\nout the fire. Rector Nyoman Sutawan and his deputy Ida Bagus
\nTjitarsa, as well as Denpasar Mayor I Made Suwendha, stood
\nwatching the flames sadly.<\/p>\n
Sutawan said the college will make do with anything available
\nand try to fill the students' need for books and references.<\/p>\n
He also said library activities will be removed to another
\nbuilding, formerly the rector's office, on the Bukit Jimbaran
\ncampus, some 32 km south of Denpasar.<\/p>\n
Sutawan also said that the incident would certainly affect
\nteaching on the campus, especially for final year students who
\nneed literature and other materials to write their thesis.<\/p>\n
An employee who witnessed the fire, Suseni, said that most of
\nthe librarians had left when the fire started at the eastern part
\nof the second floor. It started with a loud explosion, she said.<\/p>\n
Police are investigating the cause of the fire. Several
\nofficers contacted by Antara dismissed the suggestion that foul
\nplay was involved. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fire-guts-university-library-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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