Fair Haven Library To Close For Pipe Repairs

by Dereen Shirnekhi

The Fair Haven Branch Library will be closed for most of August, after a late July rainstorm damaged an old pipe.

City Librarian and New Haven Free Public Library (NHFPL) Director Maria Bernhey provided that update to patrons on Tuesday.

The 182 Grand Ave. library will close on Friday, Aug. 7, and is tentatively set to reopen on Saturday, Aug. 29.

The reason for the closure, according to Bernhey, is water damage in the lower-level Community Program Room from a July 21 rainstorm.

“Water entered from an old defunct pipe seal that failed during the intense rainstorm, and the carpet and area surrounding the pipe were saturated and damaged as a result,” Bernhey said.

In order to access and repair the pipe, old flooring tiles beneath the carpet have to be lifted. The floor was tested for asbestos, and the test came back positive. While the Community Program Room has been closed and off limits to staff and patrons since, Bernhey said, the remaining spaces in the branch are safe for use per the Health Department.

Still, the branch has to close for the abatement of the old tiles, which will take place from Aug. 7 to Aug. 9. Then they’ll be retested, and the library is expecting results from that test by Aug. 12.

After that, the branch will remain closed for the pipe seal repair and flooring replacement.

“Given that it is an old building and that staff work areas are located in the lower level, the decision was made to close the branch beyond the required abatement period to both allow for flexibility with any unexpected issues and expedite the repair process,” she said.

The Aug. 29 opening, Bernhey said, is tentative. The plan is to reassess the opening on Aug. 12, when the abatement process is completed.

All in-person services and programs at the library will be suspended starting Saturday, Aug. 8, until further notice, but online services will remain fully available. The book drop at 182 Grand Ave. will remain open for returns.

The library’s Readmobile will continue to visit the Atwater Senior Center from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and Bella Vista from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. on Tuesdays. Additional Readmobile visits to the Fair Haven Library parking lot have been scheduled for Thursdays (Aug. 13, Aug. 20, and Aug. 27) from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., as well as Aug. 12 and Aug. 22 for the same window.

Library staff are in the process of notifying library-goers with existing holds that any items not picked up by Thursday, Aug. 6, can be transferred to a nearby branch for pick-up. The closest NHFPL branch to the Fair Haven Library is the downtown Ives Main Library at 133 Elm St.

Libraries also serve as cooling centers when the city’s Extreme Hot Weather protocol is activated. According to city spokesperson Lenny Speiller, the Atwater Senior Center, which is also a cooling center and located around the corner from the Fair Haven Library, will continue to be available as needed.