Crestfallen to phoenix risen: coping with disaster and recovery at Glasgow School of Art

In May 2014 a devastating fire at the Glasgow School of Art totally destroyed the renowned 1909 art nouveau library designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, along with its important historical collections. The devastating fire was widely reported and discussed at the time, and continues to feature prominently as the School moves from a period of rescue and salvage to a period of rebirth and reconstruction. This keynote paper by GSA Librarian, Duncan Chappell, will discuss the immediate aftermath of the fire, including salvage and conservation, as well as exciting progress on the restoration of the library, due to reopen in 2019. Duncan will reflect on the effects of the fire both on the library service as a whole and on individuals within it, and share his experiences of maintaining a high-quality library for users whilst concurrently dealing with the inevitable pressures of disaster