Westbank Community Library reopened its doors July 6 after months of pandemic operations and significant building repairs following damage from February’s Winter Storm Uri.
The building experienced two burst pipes amid the storm that flooded the library and damaged thousands of books, specifically in the children’s section, Director Mary Jo Finch previously told Community Impact Newspaper.
Much of the remaining collection was moved to its sister library, Laura’s Library, which did not experience damage. Since February, several repairs have taken place to restore the building, including the installation of new floors. Books were also frozen to kill any mold that may have grown as a result of the flooding.
Replacement books have been arriving in batches at a rate of 800 to 1,000 books per week, according to a June 29 newsletter from the library.
“The shelves in the kids room will still be pretty empty when we open, but we should be all filled up by the end of summer,” Finch said in the newsletter.
The library will be open Monday through Saturday with the same operating hours as Laura’s Library, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The community is invited to browse the library’s collections and utilize the computers. While the small meeting rooms are still closed, the library is gradually transitioning back to full service, according to a June 6 newsletter.
More information on both library's current services can be found on the library's website.
