News - Harvard College Library

HCL Facilities Management Accomplishes Tons (and Gallons) of Work

January 16, 2002 -- HCL employees casually flick on lights, make telephone calls, and open mail during their daily work routine. Seldom is the desk lamp illuminating a workspace or the ringing telephone given a second thought, which means, according to Paul Bellenoit, HCL's director of facilities management, that his team is doing their job. HCL Facilities Management repairs, cleans, secures, and aids in renovation for all HCL libraries. The immensity of their task -- described by the Facilities Management mission statement as providing the highest quality service with dedication, professionalism, teamwork, and respect -- is reflected in the statistics below.

During 2001-2002 HCL Facilities Management:

Installed 2400 light bulbs
Repaired and relocated 225 telephones
Cleaned 20 miles of stack shelving as part of WSR
Provided 6,000 gallons of spring water
Performed 65,000 hours of custodial service
Helped coordinate the move of over 1 million books for WSR
Completed 1050 repair orders
Shampooed or waxed 285,000 sq. yards of carpet and flooring
Made 2000 keys
Answered 1300 Facilities Hot Line calls
Managed 4000 hours of construction security details


William Rice and Tom Brennan of HCL Facilities Management sort packages and mail. Nearly 315,000 pieces of mail and 300,000 packages were handled in 2001.

In addition, the Facilities Management mailroom handles receipt, delivery, and shipping of mail and packages for HCL libraries. During the past year, the mailroom handled nearly 315,000 pieces of mail and 300,000 packages. The number resonates when compared to the Weston, Massachusetts Post Office, serving a town of 11,000, which handled only 104,000 packages during the last year - almost 200,000 fewer.

Weston Post office	HCL Facilities Management
104,000 packages	300,000 packages

The Facilities Management team is comprised of the following individuals. Bellenoit serves as the director and oversees all operations of Facilities Management, including all aspects of the Widener Stacks Renovation (WSR) project. Anthony Merlino, assistant director of facilities renovations, manages construction and renovation projects throughout HCL. Andy Laplume, assistant director of facilities security, is responsible for security and public safety. Al Broome, manager of facilities support services, oversees the mailrooms at Widener Library and HCL Technical Services, as well as shipping, receiving, and telephone installations and repairs. Working with Broome, Tom Brennan sorts and delivers the mail, William Rice processes the receipt and delivery of packages, and Peter Ciraolo handles the mail for Technical Services at 625 Mass. Ave. Diane Gacicia, staff assistant, attends to the Facilities Management Hotline, manages scheduling issues, maintenance records, and the ordering of materials for the department.