Water Damage Forces Hartford Public Library Downtown Branch to Close

The Hartford Library downtown branch is expected to be closed for an extended amount of time. A water pipe on the building’s top floor broke over the weekend, causing extensive damage to the building.

Library officials believe the frigid air that gripped the state this weekend likely contributed to the pipe failure. The Hartford Fire Department says when they responded Saturday, they found that a water feed line to a chiller on the fourth floor – which is the top floor - had broken.

“It started in an HVAC unit on our roof and the water then cascaded, starting from the top of the building all the way down,” said Hartford Public Library President and CEO Bridget Quinn.

Quinn says when she and her staff arrived to assess the damage, the impact was significant.

“There was a tremendous amount of standing water throughout the building,” she said.

NBC Connecticut

There has been damage to computers and furniture on the first three floors. Many of these items have been shrouded in plastic, to prevent any further damage.

The good news is that most of the book collection has been unharmed. That includes some of the building’s oldest and most fragile items.

“The main water downpour did come through the Hartford history center but because those collections are behind glass and were stored the way they were, the water damage did not reach them,” Quinn said.

While the library is closed, many events will be relocated to other libraries around the city. That includes two Kwanzaa celebrations that will now be held at the Albany Avenue location on Thursday. The first is at noon and the other at 1 p.m.

“While it would’ve been wonderful to have it here, it’s going to be just as special at the Albany branch library,” Quinn said.

It’s unclear exactly how long the library will be closed as they are still evaluating the extent of the damage.

Quinn says they will have more information in the coming days about relocating programs, classes and other activities.