Two escalators at NIU’s Founders Memorial Library are out of service and the library is waiting to receive estimates for the cost of repairs.

Lola Straffer, a library personnel assistant, said the “up” escalators between the second and third floors and third and fourth floors were shut down two weeks ago. “If the escalators were started up, there would be injuries and someone could actually be thrown off,” Straffer said.

The NIU physical plant is considering the possibility of replacing parts and rebuilding the escalators. “We are taking them (the escalators) apart so outside vendors can prepare bids to the cost of repairs,” said John Harrod, physical plant director.

Companies are scheduled to prepare repair estimates on Thursday, Friday and next Monday. “We may not be able to fix them all. We need to find out what the cost will be,” he said.

Harrod said the plant has had difficulty keeping the escalators functioning and they have had problems with the library escalators for the past two years.

Stronger light bulbs have been put in the stairwells and the building’s elevators are functioning. “They’re (the physical plant and campus elevator/escalator repair) working to make it as short-term as possible,” she said.

Harrod said the escalators might be left open for use as stairways if this would not cause a safety hazard. Straffer said the escalators possibly could be out of service until next spring.

Straffer said the broken escalators are not affecting library usage. “Student usage has increased this year compared to last year at this time,” she said.