Upstairs reopens at Rose Memorial Library following flood

Lower level will remain closed until further notice; total damage estimated at $90k

BY DYLAN SKRILOFF
Photos provided by Rose Memorial Library

A flood at Rose Memorial Library on East Main St. in Stony Point swamped the lower level of the building last Thursday, causing the library to close for nearly a week and costing over $50,000 in damage. Initially the library believed the total damage was around $90,000, but now officials are optimistic the price will be closer to $50,000, which happens to be the amount that is covered by insurance.

United Water has yet to state the cause of the break or indicate any plans to reimburse the library. Library Director Jennifer Brown said the water company is currently in discussions with the insurance company.

The upper level of the library reopened Wednesday, while the children’s section on the lower level remains closed. Brown said the library is seeking estimates for new carpeting. The children’s section could potentially reopen by the end of the month, but there is no official timetable.

The library has begun to raise funds for restoration efforts at the GoFundMe webpage: www.gofundme.com/stonypointlibrary.

A statement on the library’s website stated:

“We lost hundreds of books – mainly very popular children’s titles that were housed downstairs. We also lost a lot of computer equipment. The 4:30 a.m. Thursday pipe rupture caused eight inches of stormwater and sewage to back up and flood the lower section of the East Main Street library. The children’s section was hardest hit. Hundreds of books, including the Dear Dumb Diary, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Dork Diaries series, and the entire board book collection were destroyed along with laptops and the carpet. Easy readers, non-fiction, DVDs, and picture books were badly damaged.

“We need your help to restore all of the lost titles and equipment. Insurance only covers a little more than half of the estimated $90,000 in damage. Our library runs on a very humble budget each year, and resources are stretched to the max. Please help us restore all of the titles and materials that we lost during the flood, so we can continue to serve this wonderful community.”