GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Two books were found on a shelf with water damage. Now, the Gatesville Public Library is closed.
"Everybody wants it to be right, and that's what we want as well," Gatesville City Manager, Brad Hunt, said.
Between the spring storms, roof damage, and issues with the library’s HVAC system, the temperature and humidity were not controlled.
While Hunt said there were not any reports of health issues, the city immediately shut down the library for testing and inspection.
“We were very fortunate we caught it in time before we had any serious mold issue. I commend the staff for bringing that to my attention and the council for supporting us to make the environment safer for the people and for the books," Hunt said.
Lone Star Mold was hired by the city for testing. Their results showed the library's air quality indicated no harmful levels of mold.
Still, Hunt said they want to make sure it is ready to reopen safely to serve our neighbors.
In the meantime, they will be inspecting all books and materials, cleaning, and addressing the roof and HVAC issues.
"We will take all the steps we can to reopen and be better than ever. The people and the services, to me, are the library. The building we will fix and reopen," Hunt said.
Hunt said it will be hard to have the library closed for longer than expected. However, he wants to give our neighbors a safe place to learn, read, and gather again.
"We understand how important it is, and we caught it in time. The library is a daily part of life in Gatesville. It's one of the greatest things we have going as a city. We will make sure the services remain," Hunt said.
The City of Gatesville sent out an updated release.
“The Gatesville Library will remain closed for cleaning and inspection. Lone Star Mold Testing Company (contracted by the City of Gatesville) conducted mold testing at the Gatesville Library, including air testing, to determine whether mold was an issue related to the known water damage. Lone Star’s air quality and other testing parameters listed in their report indicated that the library remains free of unacceptable levels of mold, and thus less costly and time consuming means of abatement than would otherwise be required for “black mold” are acceptable.
Accordingly, we are taking steps to inspect all books and materials, clean all surfaces, and abate the known issues at the library. We will inspect each item prior to restocking, as well as clean or replace all the furniture and fixtures in the building itself. Our intent is to reopen safely for limited services, at an alternate location to be announced, as soon as possible.
In reviewing the issue further, City Manager Brad Hunt said: “It appears that several factors led to this issue, and each was addressed with increased levels of concern and action. First, it appears the library’s HVAC system had not been effective for the past year in terms of humidity and temperature control, which was exacerbated by the long-term rainy and humid conditions this past spring. With Council’s permission, we addressed that issue early in my Interim tenure by allocating funds to completely replace the HVAC system. That project continues but will be on hold until all other abatement measures are conducted. Second, the spring weather caused roof damage on the already-aged roof, leading to water damage on some walls. The City filed an insurance claim related to the roof, as well as listed it on our FEMA damage assessment, prior to the discovery of the damaged walls and books. Finally, once damage was observed inside the building itself, we immediately closed the library and took precautionary testing measures.”
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR LIBRARY PATRONS:
· Some library programs will be relocated to other venues, and notices for changes will be posted on the Gatesville Library and City of Gatesville’s Facebook pages.
· Books, MP-3s, CDs, and DVDs may be returned to the Library drop box.
· Electronic devices and activity backpacks may be returned to the City of Gatesville City Hall lobby, located at 803 Main Street.
· Please return items as-is, and staff will clean them upon intake.
· NO LATE FEES OR FINES WILL BE ASSESSED DURING THE TIMEFRAME OF THE LIBRARY’S CLOSURE.
· Any past fines for water damaged books (estimated to be less than five (5) total in the past year) incurred by patrons will be refunded.
Mr. Hunt concluded: “We appreciate our patrons’ patience while we work hard to address this issue. We will take all necessary measures to ensure that the library and all its contents are clean, safe, and available to the public as soon as we possibly can.”
