‘No estimate’ on Hartford library reopening after pipe burst
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Damage to the Hartford Public Library after a burst pipe has caused the library to close.
Courtesy of Hartford Public Library
HARTFORD – A spokesman for the Hartford Public Library said Wednesday there is no estimate of when the downtown library will reopen after a burst flood caused significant water damage on Christmas Eve, but some areas will likely be closed for whole months.
Officials continued to assess damage to the building in the 500 block of Main Street on Wednesday. While most of the library’s collection was undamaged, computer equipment and furniture on the first, second and part of the public areas of the third floor were affected, according to the spokesperson. The Hartford History Center’s public room on the third floor was damaged, but most of the collection was either in storage on another floor or protected from water by a layer of glass, the spokesman said. A public art exhibit near the room was intact, and library staff members were moving materials to other areas as they assessed the damage this week.
Library staff hope to come up with a timeline and budget for the repairs in the coming week.
“While this situation is serious, we are thankful that the damage is no longer extensive,” President and CEO Bridget E. Quinn said in a statement. “The Hartford Fire Department was outstanding in their response, as were the library staff who assisted.”
All programming at the library’s downtown branch will either be canceled or moved to another branch. In addition, the downtown library announced on social media that it would not be a designated event location for First Night Hartford and scheduled activities had been canceled.
The Albany Library at 1250 Albany Ave. will host Kwanzaa events on Thursday that were originally planned for the downtown branch. Officials are also working to find a new location for the library’s jazz series that is scheduled to begin in January.
A spokesperson said more information will be made available on the library’s social media pages and website.
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