The McGoogan Stacks Project: Don't go in the Stacks!

"In October of 1999, three librarians disappeared in the stacks of the McGoogan Library of Medicine while looking for titles. A year later their abandoned pushcart was found." These are the words promoting "The McGoogan Stacks Project," (a parody of "The Blair Witch Project") the story behind the McGoogan Library of Medicine's renovation and the documentary that was filmed about it that subsequently led to the disappearance of three library staff members.

During the renovation of the 6th floor, library staff members have helped in providing a journal pulling service in the afternoons to obtain journal articles located in the inaccessible areas which are needed by customers. It was while doing a shift of this service that Erin Bauer, Brenda Epperson, and Steve Bridges disappeared in the stacks without a trace. Theories abound about what could have happened to the missing trio, but we only have scant evidence and the footage from Erin's video camera to give us clues. Workers have also discovered a strange triangular symbol appearing at various places among the stacks and on materials found in the renovation area that's origin cannot be identified. After 30 years, is it possible that supernatural forces are lurking in the library's stacks, only now being riled up due to the renovation? Or is there a more natural explanation?

Check out the footage of Erin's "The McGoogan Stacks Project" documentary during the March 16 ICON meeting to find out more about the renovation and to gain insight into what might have occurred that fateful day. A Web site about the events leading up to the disappearaces can be found at http://www.unmc.edu/library/msp/index.html Draw your own conclusions, but remember...don't go in the stacks!




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