The St. Paul Central Library has spent the past week drying out, but officials hope that sections of three floors that were cordoned off after a messy custodial mishap seven days ago will reopen Monday, July 16.
A custodian left a fourth-floor sink faucet running overnight on July 6, and horrified staff members found water drenching a large section of the third floor the next morning, including a magazine room, said Joe Campbell, a spokesman for the mayor’s office.
A smaller staff area on the fourth floor and a nonfiction room on the second floor also were affected at the library, located downtown next to Rice Park.
“Last Friday evening, at the end of a shift, the water was left on, and it was discovered when the custodian and another staff member arrived at 7 a.m. on Saturday,” said library director Kit Hadley.
The library has positioned large fans on the three floors to dry things off.
Hadley said she was unaware of significant damage to any books or computers. Public computers in a second-floor work area were not affected.
An adjuster from Travelers, the city’s insurer, has been assigned to examine the extent of the water damage.
“We’re in the process now of determining what the cost of repairs is going to be,” Hadley said. “We’re going to do a walk-through on Monday.”
Danya P. Hernandez contributed to this report.
Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.
