Facility closed until further notice as clean up continues
An army of volunteers, professionals and first responders who quickly assembled on Christmas Day have helped the Logan County Libraries wade through a stressful situation and move into recovery, after frozen pipes caused a sprinkler to burst above the computer lab, leading to 2 to 3 inches of flooding throughout the entire facility.
The Knowlton Library at 220 N. Main St. is closed until further notice as crews continue the extensive clean-up work.
Logan County Libraries Fiscal Officer Stacy Sandy said the library’s alarm system was activated Sunday, Dec. 25, and officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department responded to the Knowlton Library to check on the building. They reported no signs of forced entry to library officials.
“They couldn’t have seen the damage that was occurring inside the building,” Sandy said.
Fortunately, Sandy and her husband decided to make what they thought would be a fast trip to the library around 3 p.m., as Sandy had a few work items to take care of, and then they could check on the building, too.
“When we entered, I couldn’t believe my eyes,” the fiscal officer said Monday, Dec. 26. “There was water throughout the building, and the sprinkler in the computer lab, ground zero, was spraying out high-pressure water like a fire hydrant.
“There was 2 to 3 inches of water throughout the entire building, and even water coming out of the back staff entrance by the alley.”
Sandy immediately notified other library staff and board members, and the Bellefontaine Fire Department responded as well to shut off the water to the building. The firefighters also were able to identify the pipe that had broken in the sprinkler system, following the recent subzero temperatures in the area.
Library Board President Sharon Halter and Sandy said they were amazed at all of the individuals and professionals who made it over to the library on a holiday, including ServPro arriving within an hour, along with their insurance agents from Stolly Insurance, HVAC company Slagle Mechanical and Siemens.
A host of volunteers, including their maintenance employee Jake Stone from Above All Power Washing and his family, and several library staff members and their families also helped out late into the evening to assist with the clean up, not leaving the library until about 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
“We are so grateful for everyone who pitched in to help us out,” Halter said. “It was really incredible seeing everyone come together.”
“I can’t believe how much different everything looks now compared to yesterday afternoon,” Sandy agreed. “We’re working through the beginning stages of recovery from this.”
The fiscal officer said the damage sustained to the library is “very widespread,” and a damage estimate is not yet available in this preliminary stage. Some residents might also remember a similar issue with a pipe bursting at the Knowlton Library during bitterly cold temperatures in January of 2014.
However, the water damage caused that time was more localized to the computer room and adjacent history room, as staff were at the library working when the pipe burst, Sandy noted.
Fortunately with this most recent Christmas Day incident, the library’s book collection was not harmed, as the water levels did not reach high enough to impact the bookshelves.
“We are so grateful that our collection is going to be OK,” Sandy said. “We have insurance for a reason, and we’re grateful that our expenses will be covered as we restore the building. All of the carpeting is going to need to be pulled out and to be assessed from there.”
Computers in the computer lab will need to be replaced, along with the computer back-up batteries. The library’s history room also sustained heavy damage, and the historical documents have already been sent out to a document preservation company, which should be able to salvage the documents through a freeze-drying process, Sandy said.
Ceiling tile in both the history room and the computer room were heavily damaged as well.
In addition to removing the damaged carpet and ceiling tiles, ServPro also is working to dry out the facility, and arranged for two high-powered diesel dehumidifiers — one from Columbus and another from Indianapolis. Those diesel dehumidifiers will start running overnight Monday to ensure all of the moisture is removed from the books, Sandy said.
Sunbelt Rentals helped to haul over the large dehumidifiers via truck, and employee Adam Vogel, a native of Logan County, said he was glad he could pitch in for this project.
“I live in Columbus now, but I’m happy that I could help out our local library where I grew up,” he said.
Halter and Sandy noted that all of the branch locations remain open while the main branch is closed. Materials can still be returned in the outside drop off area of the Knowlton Library.
The main library’s phone systems are down, but staff are closely monitoring the library’s website, https://logancountylibraries.org/, and Facebook page for any messages.
“We apologize for this unforeseen event and ask you to watch for news of reopening on all media outlets and door signs,” Halter said.