![]() Put items on hold, we’ll get them as quick as we can and as soon as we can,” Bratlie said. The access to the collections is going to be impacted for a little while. “Our programs will not be affected at all. Since May is a slower time of year for the children’s area, many of the library’s usual programming takes a break during the month and resumes in June.īratlie reassured that the summer reading program, which is scheduled to begin June 6, will not be cancelled. The first section of the children’s area to reopen to patrons will likely be the 5-and-under collection.Īlong with books, one computer was destroyed, and several ceiling tiles and carpet squares need to be replaced.įloor panels were removed to circulate air beneath the raised flooring that houses electrical cables. “Some of it we may not be able to replace, it’s out of print,” Bratlie explained. Library and Facility Coordinator Jamie Bratlie predicts it will take months to replace the destroyed books, but some can never be replaced. The books weren’t only covered in water, but also a non-toxic chemical named propylene glycol, which is used in HVAC systems. Library employees spent the day Monday sorting out the books to figure out which ones are salvageable and which ones were destroyed.Ĭhildren’s Librarian Allynne Ellis accessed the library catalog and estimates roughly 2,400 books were within the impacted area of the pipe burst.Īfter sorting, Ellis believes two-thirds of those books were destroyed. Because of that, the children’s area was scheduled to be closed the entire day and no library staff or patrons were injured. The pipe burst happened during planned HVAC maintenance for a few leaks. “Indefinitely” may sound like an eternity, but the library staff hopes to begin reopening portions of the children’s area as early as this Friday, or possibly on Monday of next week. The sign went up after a ceiling pipe burst on Monday afternoon. BILLINGS – Library patrons approaching the children’s area at the Billings Public Library are greeted with the hum of dryers and a sign that reads “The children’s area will be closed indefinitely.”
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