An ongoing project in the Murray Library this summer has been to install a Public Address system. A PA system will make it easier for our staff to close the library at night, as announcements will sound throughout the building at regular intervals, letting clients know when it’s getting close to closing time and encouraging them to get outta here. That should make it quicker and easier to clear all the floors of this gigantic building before locking up at the end of the night.

All summer long, workers have been traversing the entire Murray Library, pulling wires and installing speakers on every floor of the library, in every room. It has been a long process, with lots of sounds of drilling through concrete echoing through the building. But now, they’re almost done, and the new Murray Public Address system is almost up and running.

There was one important step that needed to be completed before the PA system could be fully operational. Someone had to record the new messages that will be heard when the library closes! Two Murray staff members, Kim and Rachel, volunteered to be the voices of the library’s closing announcements.

Late last week, we headed up to room 445.1, the video/media production room on the 4th floor, where Rachel and Kim officially recorded the Murray Library’s new closing announcements. Big thanks to Chewy, who made sure we had the correct program to save the audio files in the proper format; Christine, who wrote the script; and Lara who acted as sound engineer.

So if you’re ever in the Murray Library late at night, and you hear a voice coming over the PA system telling you that the library will be closing soon, know that that voice belongs to either Rachel or Kim.

Kim and Rachel, we look forward to the grumbles that will surely come from students whenever they hear you speak, as they will probably associate your voices with the negative feelings that come with being kicked out of the library each night. Know that by memorializing your voices in 16 bit PCM 48 khz .Wav files, you have provided a valuable service to this institution.