Kennebecasis library to reopen seven months after flood

It's been seven months since the public has been able to browse books at the Kennebecasis Public Library in Quispamsis.

Loyal patrons like Chrystal Moore, couldn't be happier about the facility's reopening set for Aug. 23.

"This was a huge interruption for a local gem that we absolutely love," said Chrystal Moore, a devoted library patron. "We've desperately missed it and are really excited to be able to go back."

A cracked pipe in the building's sprinkler system caused serious water damage on Jan. 24. Since then, the library has been closed for repairs.

Books escaped damage

Moore said she and her family like going to the library every few weeks.

"Access to the library had been quite limited because of COVID restrictions, and so it had already felt for a long time that it was hard to go to the library," she said. "Then the flood caused another delay in having access to it."

Norah Emerson, the acting director of the Kennebecasis Public Library, said about 6,000 gallons of water went through the building during the flood.

"It ran the breadth and width of the top floor, then down to the bottom floor through the ceiling and down the stairwell," she said. "It soaked pretty much everything on ground level."

Miraculously, no books were casualties of the flood or following humidity.

Damage was significant to the floor, however, and harm was done to drywall, bookshelves, electrical work and furniture.

Emerson said she is unsure how much repairs have cost, but insurance has covered it.

One of the main contributors to the seven-month closure was the arrival of carpet. Emerson said the insurance policy required the library replace the damaged flooring with the same product.

"It's a kind of carpet that's no longer made in Canada and is only made in England at the moment," she said. "With supply chain issues that are prevalent everywhere right now, we were also impacted by that."

During the closure, the library continued with some of its programming outside, including its summer reading club. Emerson said it's also been running curbside service since May 31, and those books didn't have a due date.

"Nothing was due at any point during our closure," she said. "People had the option to return it to other libraries, who would hold it until we were able to re-shelve it in our library."

Emerson estimated there are more than 5,000 books that still need to be returned. She said they have started to trickle in, and she expects most will be returned over the next month.

Last week, library staff began unpacking the 65,000 items that were stored in boxes. At this point, Emerson said, pretty much everything is ready for its reopening.

Regular library hours will resume Aug. 23. Emerson said a reception is being held on Aug. 25 from 6 to 7 p.m.

"We fill a really unique niche in the community, which it seems people have really missed during the closure," she said. "We are really excited to welcome people back."