Patrons of Founders Memorial Library will soon be free of long waits for elevators and tedious stair climbs if escalator repairs are completed as scheduled in early or mid_October.

NIU Project Manager Conrad Miller said the library escalators are in the third and final phase of repair, which includes the escalators going from the lower level to the first floor, and from the first floor to the lower level.

Miller said the lower level escalators are nearing the final stage, awaiting new drive chains and shoes, which are similar to brake shoes.

The project’s cost, $242,000, was paid from the “contractual services” portion of NIU’s general operating budget.

Although the contractor, Mid-American, Inc. of Chicago, originally submitted a bid of $231,032, the cost has remained well within the 10 percent contingency allowed for such projects, Miller said.

Problems were noticed as early as 1980, when grinding noises were heard in some sections of the escalators. Normal maintenance and patchwork kept them operating for a while, but their condition worsened until they became a safety hazard, and were shut down during the summer and in October, 1988.

It was once questionable whether the escalators could be repaired, but repairs caused no serious inconveniences, Miller said.

While the escalators were down, stronger lights were installed in the stairways and the elevators remained functioning.

This is the first time the escalators have been completely rebuilt, so the exact cause of their breakdown is unknown, Miller said.

However, Miller said he suspects time and constant use as the main factors, comparing the escalators to a car. “After a certain amount of time, you either have to trade it off, or spend big money to put a new motor in.”