Jones Library Closed Indefinitely Due To Storm Flooding
Jones Library. Photo: wilkipedia.org
Source: Jones Library
The Jones Library is closed indefinitely due to heavy flooding from Saturday evening’s rainstorm. Town building and fire officials examined the damage on Monday to assess when the library can reopen.
Library Director Sharon Sharry informed the Trustees and staff about the flooding in an email Saturday night. According to Sharry’s initial report, the leaking atrium led to flooding on the main floor as well as into the lower level. Water flooded the fire sensors, causing the sprinkler system to charge in case of fire. There was no fire, but because the sprinkler pipes have surpassed their usable life, a large pipe in the basement burst, flooding a basement hallway and the basement stacks.
Sharry reported that upon initial inspection, at least one online public access catalog computer was damaged, but none of the collection appeared to be harmed. Special Collections was not affected.
“While I am relieved that the damage was not worse, the Jones Library is more than our collections.” said Trustees President Austin Sarat. “Closing the library disrupts ESL conversation classes, children’s story time, teen lounge, coding club for girls, just to name a few programs scheduled for this week. Our community relies on the Jones as a place to gather and learn.”
The atrium, part of the 1993 addition to the library, has been problematic for much of its lifespan. Despite repeated repair attempts, the leaking atrium threatens building integrity. In the plans for renovation and expansion, the atrium will be replaced by multi-level program space. Plans also include necessary fire alert and suppression system upgrades.
“This incident underscores the urgent need to renovate,” Sarat said. “Delays not only make the project cost more, but put our collections and programs at ever increasing risk.”
Sharry praised the Amherst Fire Department as well as library maintenance staff. “Our maintenance team performs daily inspections on all systems and are constantly repairing, fixing and servicing each of these systems. In other words, everything is being done that can be done to keep these obsolete systems operable and safe. “I do not know how long it will take before we will be allowed to reopen the Library,” Sharry continued. “For now, the building must dry.”
“Delays not only make the project cost more, but put our collections and programs at ever increasing risk.”
As has (intentionally) deferring maintenance.
I grew up in a flood-prone area of Connecticut, so I am familiar with the term. When I hear “heavy flooding,” “closed indefinitely,” and “damage” — words used in news coverage of this event — I picture water high enough to be sloshed through, sodden books and magazines, and ruined electronic equipment, all requiring significant effort to clean up, and a very sad situation.
Seemingly miraculously, just a couple of days later, the library reopens, the only apparent flood victim one computer, and the only visible signs of cleanup box fans working to dry the carpet in the atrium. And of course, once again, a chiding that disaster awaits if the renovation doesn’t go forward.
Repeated exaggeration of a situation to get what one wants — especially when funded with others’ money — is clearly an effective tactic, but it also risks backlash when the disparity between what one says and what another sees becomes too great.
These maintenance “deferrals” have been going on for much longer (especially the HVAC system) than 2014.
Whether or not these have been exploited to persuade a skeptical public that the Jones demolition/expansion is necessary, the latter is by no means the only reasonable solution (and is arguably unreasonable)….