Recent flooding at Post Falls and Athol libraries due to a pipe burst from the freezing temperatures has caused “catastrophic” damage to both buildings.
According to the Community Library Network in north Idaho, they say that in their over 40 years of work, they have never experienced such a loss to their facility or services.
Repairs are estimated to be around 4-6 months and according to Alexa Eccles, the director of the Community Library Network, she says that “the total damage could be near a million dollars, it is still too early to say, the total cost estimates for facilities should be back in about a month. The adjusters are very busy right now with so many claims.”
Both libraries have submitted claims with their property insurer. The Post Falls Library has $5,614,737.00 coverage on the building with $1,099,702.00 on contents. The Athol Library has $831,094.00 coverage on the building with $357,575 on contents. The library has a $2,000 deductible per occurrence.
Currently, library staff have removed over 1,000 items severely damaged by water. The next step will be to box up the library’s collections, furnishings and technology.
“The most difficult areas to talk about are the impact of this devastation on staff and the loss of public programs like Storytimes and access to over 100,000 books and internet enabled computers in two of our busiest and fastest growing communities,” says Eccles.
As of now, both libraries will be closed with estimated reopening in the summer. The Community Library Network will release updates once they receive confirmation on repairs being done.
For more information, go to the Community Library Network’s website.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Check back for updates.
