A large puddle of water outside the door to the Map Collection on the seventh floor of Sterling Memorial Library has spread into the hallway and around the corner towards the elevators. David Estep, evening and weekend security adviser, said his team has yet to determine where the leak came from or whether it had damaged the maps.

The leak is dripping through the seventh floor to the sixth floor in the hallway outside the map collection, and a strong odor is coming from the area. The Philosophy Reading Room, located just below the Map Collection, is also experiencing leaking from the ceiling throughout about half the room, suggesting water might also be coming from the collection above.

“We’ve had leaks before but usually they’ve been over room 709 and 710 where the maps are stored,” said head Map Collection curator Abraham Parrish, who was unaware of the leak until contacted by the News.

Parrish said the first course of action would be to cover the metal cabinets where the maps are stored with plastic sheeting. Any maps that have been wet from water leaking into the cabinets would be dried out by the Preservation Department.