In August 2002, one month after Gail Kern Paster became the Folger Shakespeare Library’s sixth director, her worst nightmare happened: Water began seeping into the underground rare-book vault. Any plans she might have had for the Folger took a back seat to keeping the priceless collection safe. Looking back on the crisis from her wood-paneled office filled with Shakespeare memorabilia, Paster says she is proud to have met the challenge.

She led staff and building contractors to the completion in November 2004 of a newly waterproofed rare-book vault, in the process adding 25 years of storagespace. Along the way, they moved 900 boxes of books two to three times, including 28,000 books to a bunker at Amherst College. Paster, committed to the idea that the Folger be accessible, decided to continue with scholarly, educational and public activities during the project. She halted construction during student performances, encouraged staff members to use headphones to distract them from the noise and handed out earplugs to visiting scholars.