A leak in the fire sprinkler system led to significant flooding on the main floor of the New Canaan Library this past Saturday, 17 February. Staff turning up to work Sunday were surprised by the discovery, which forced a week-long closure and the cancellation of all programs over the winter break, as the team mounted an intensive cleanup operation.
“While we have suffered some paper and electronics losses, the good news is that very little damage was done to our books and materials,” said Kim McNally, President & CEO of New Canaan Library. “I couldn’t be prouder of the team and their incredible efforts to pitch in during this emergency.”
Contractor Servicemaster led efforts over the weekend to extract remaining water. Luckily, library staff reacted quickly to rescue all the books in the Children’s Room and Concourse area.
An initial announcement Sunday hoped for a Wednesday reopening, but the timeline was pushed out to one week by Tuesday — by which point most of the carpeting had dried out and industrial fans were working on reducing humidity. A further update is due this weekend.
In a statement, the Library advised residents that safety is a priority and the building will not reopen to the public until the sprinkler system is back up and running and all other inspections are satisfactory.
During the closure, patrons should avoid returning books back to the Library until notified, senior staff said — the main task ahead for the library team will be to focus on examining all materials and re-shelving everything that is in proper condition.
In the meantime, no fines will be assessed for overdue items, and all checked-out materials will be backdated. Renewals can be done online or by e-mailing circulation@newcanaanlibrary.org, which is also available for any questions. The Library’s digital collection is operating as usual.
“We hope to be back open for business by next week,” said McNally, who took up her role just three weeks ago after more than a decade in library leadership.
“Thank you, New Canaan, for your patience and good wishes during this challenging time,” she said.
