Damage at Post Falls, Athol libraries could near $1 million
Items are piled up at the Post Falls Library as it undergoes repairs following mid-January winter weather damage and flooding. The destruction caused by freezing in the Post Falls and Athol library buildings is estimated to cost up to $1 million and will take four to six months to repair.
Photo courtesy of the Community Library Network
Community Library Network staff members sort through items following mid-January weather damage that impacted the Post Falls and Athol Libraries. It is estimated repairs will cost near $1 million and will take up to six months to complete, Library Director Alexa Eccles reported Wednesday.
Eccles
The catastrophic damage caused by freezing pipes in the Post Falls and Athol library buildings is estimated to take four to six months to repair.
“The total damage could near $1 million," Community Library Library Network Library Director Alexa Eccles said in a Wednesday news release.
"It is still too early to say. The total cost estimates for facilities should be back in about a month," she said. "The adjusters are very busy right now with so many claims."
In the Community Library Network’s more than 40-year history, the district has never experienced such a great loss to a facility or services. Library staff have submitted claims with the library’s property insurer, Idaho Counties Risk Management Program. Post Falls Library has $5,614,737 coverage on the building and $1,099,702 on contents; and the Athol Library has $831,094 coverage on the building and $357,575 on contents. The library has a $2,000 deductible per occurrence.
Eccles said the library network is extraordinarily lucky to have such a great team helping with all aspects of the damage and recovery. From ICRMP to adjusters and contractors, she said they have all been committed and professional.
"We have received every assurance that our library buildings and collections will be restored," she said. "It is just going to take time."
The community has also been understanding and compassionate through this process, she said.
"Our hearts go out to other businesses and community members in the same boat," Eccles said. "We understand the incredible stress and sense of loss. It is heartbreaking and emotional."
She said the most difficult areas to talk about are the impact of this devastation on staff and the loss of public programs like story times and access to over 100,000 books and internet-enabled computers in two of the network's busiest and fastest-growing communities.
Library staff have already removed over 1,000 items severely damaged by water. Staff will be deleting wet items this week and into next week. It is estimated thousands of items will be lost, mainly at the Post Falls Library.
Boxing up the library’s collections, furnishings and technology is the next step. The work, by BELFOR Property Restoration, begins Friday at the Athol Library and Feb. 12 at the Post Falls Library. After the equipment is removed, demolition can begin.
“It is important that we remove the wet drywall and carpet as soon as possible," Eccles said. "The humidity in the building remains very high. Moisture and books are not a good combination. We want to ensure no further damage occurs to the collection."
Community Library Network trustees will convene for an emergency meeting at 2:45 p.m. today at the Post Falls Library. Facilities updates on the damaged libraries are on the agenda.
Community Library Network staff members sort through items following mid-January weather damage that impacted the Post Falls and Athol Libraries. It is estimated repairs will cost near $1 million and will take up to six months to complete, Library Director Alexa Eccles reported Wednesday.
Eccles