Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 28, 1993 TAG: 9308280047
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ROBERT FREIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The library will be closed today and possibly throughout the weekend as officials try to determine the extent of the damage.
Library employees and supporters have maintained for years that the 25-year-old building, which originally housed a hardware and construction-supply store, is inadequate and antiquated.
Two years ago, another storm caused the roof to leak and damaged much of the library's fiction collection - the same section that was damaged Friday.
"We just can't operate this way much longer," said Nancy Hurst, head of the Montgomery/Floyd Regional Library Board.
Friday's storm occurred four days after the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors deadlocked 3-3 on placing a $1.8 million bond issue on the November ballot for library improvements.
In 1990, county voters overwhelmingly defeated a similar proposal to borrow money to expand and improve the facility, which is the Blacksburg branch of the regional library system.
The supervisors are scheduled to vote again Monday on the library bond question.
Despite some supervisors' belief that the proposed library improvements are too costly, Hurst said she's hopeful the board will place the issue on the ballot.
"This just reinforces the whole thing, the terrific need we have," she said.
Nearly 2 inches of rain that fell in less than an hour formed a reservoir on the building's roof, leaked through the interior ceiling and cascaded onto book shelves.
Although the library was closed as usual Friday, two workers who were there during the storm frantically yanked books off shelves beneath the leak to keep them dry, said Ida Comparin, the library's interim director.
Hurst said that one shelf below the leak is always kept vacant because of past storms. Yet the force of water from Friday's storm was heavy enough to soak several sections of books stored nearby.
"Books we already moved were badly damaged," she said.
In all, Comparin estimated up to 2 inches of water collected on part of the library's carpet.
County workers cleaned up the water but told Comparin there's no assurance the leak won't happen again during the next hard rain.
Books have been opened and placed on the floor to dry throughout the building. "They will take a long time to dry," Comparin said. "Some I can already tell will not be salvageable."
Library and county officials will meet today to determine what to do next and if the building can be opened for its regular Sunday afternoon hours.
by CNB