Hale Library's Great Hall is under restoration and rivals lend helping hand

Restoration and clean up is well underway at K-State’s hale library Thursday-- a fire in May damaged most of the building and more than million books.

K-state hired John Canning Restoration to remove the varnish, soot, and dirt from the murals in the Great Hall, to allow the walls to breath and restore them back to its original 1927 grand look.

The university says the library will be closed this entire school year and they've set up study locations all-around campus.

K-State Dean of Libraries Lori Goetsch said the schools biggest rival has jumped in to help.

“We’ve gotten great support from our library colleagues from across the state and around the country. KU has opened its doors to our faculty and students," explained Goetsch. "You can go to Lawrence and check materials out of the KU library just as if you were here at K-state Wichita State has offered to do the same.”

The insurance settlement is still in progress and they hope to have it all settled by October.