Books Torched at UMBC Library

Update 1:48 P.M. Three small fires were set in the stacks of the Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery at UMBC Friday afternoon.

According to Jason Mowbray, spokesperson for the state fire marshal's office, at around 4:15 p.m. Friday, a student at the library discovered that books had been set on fire and notified a library staff member, who found the other fires in the library.

The library's fire alarm was pulled, and Baltimore County Fire Department responded to the campus within minutes.

A stack of books and some matches were found on the library's fourth floor. A similar stack of books was found on the fifth floor, and on the sixth floor a single book had been burned, according to Mowbray.

Nobody was injured in the incident, and the damage was limited to the books that were burned and carpeting wet from the water used to extinguish the flames.

However, Mowbray points out that since the library is filled with paper products, the incident could have been much worse.

It is not known yet whether the arsonist intended to hurt people, damage the library or its contents.

"It's difficult to tell the person's motivation at this point," Mowbray says. "This is one of the things that the fire marshal's office will be investigating."

Showing an ID is not necessary to enter the library, which is open to the public. The library closes at 6 p.m. on Fridays, although the lobby atrium and lounge are open 24 hours for students and faculty. After hours, the stacks and the rest of the library are secured behind a metal gate.

Mowbray says that the prompt action by the student prevented the fires from becoming more serious. "The student's quick reaction limited the damage," he says.

Anybody with information about the fires is asked to contact UMBC police at 410-455-5555 or call the Arson Hot Line at 800-492-7529.

9:30 A.M. Books were set on fire on several floors of UMBC's Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery on Friday night. No major damage or injuries resulted from the arson.

According to Paul Dillon, deputy chief of police at UMBC, somebody set fire to individual books or stacks of books on several floors of the library at around 6:30 p.m.

The fires were quickly extinguished and the damage was limited to the books that were burned and small areas of carpeting.

Details about the incident are still emerging. The state fire marshal is investigating the arson, according to Dillon.