|
|
|
GREENVILLE - The Shaw Public Library is closed until Tuesday because of flooding in the basement of its two-story building. For the past couple of weeks, the library has experienced water damage at its location at the bottom of a hill and on a lake line. Books have been damaged in the flooding, according to library staff. "It rains so hard that it gushes through the cracks [in the floor] and goes completely across the basement floor," library Director Karen Chandler said Wednesday afternoon. At its worst, the basement floor is drenched in 6 inches of water, Chandler said. The Children's Room, located in the basement, has received the most damage, with 50 to 100 books completely ruined by a combination of the water, mold and mud. Chandler also said the rugs that were installed last winter have been completely soaked, and various files have been damaged as well. The flooding has forced the library staff to move the children's books upstairs to prevent further damage from mold and mildew. "With the snow [in the winter] and every time it rains, we have to mop and clean," Chandler said. "It's getting to the point where it's pretty severe right now." Chandler said the library staff is in the process of talking with the town manager and other officials about a plan to fix the problem, but no concrete plans have been set at this time. "Right now we don't have any plans of going to another building," she said. "But we're going to have to see how bad this is." The Shaw Library originally was an office building and was given to the town in 1925. Cleanup of the building has primarily been done by the staff, Chandler said. However, they have had a professional cleaning service come in the past to help with the mud. "We're just taking it one day at a time," Chandler said. |