The worst water damage to the Boston Public Library in 120 years occurred when an 1895-vintage water main burst and sent tens of thousands of gallons gushing through the basement of the recently renovated McKim Building shortly after midnight on August 16. Three feet of water saturated the first three shelves of almost every basement book stack, according to the Boston Globe.
Supervisor of General Library Services June Eiselstein told reporters that staff had not had time to assess the damage completely, but "about 15% of our science and government document collections may be ruined." Joe Sarro, superintendent of city library buildings, said it was the worst damage he had ever seen, and he also feared that old LP record jackets in a sound-archive room would have to be discarded.
Public works officials were still determining the cause of the break in the water main, which had undergone restoration 10 years ago. The library remained closed August 17 to allow the staff to begin a loss assessment.