After rushing water set off the fire alarm, Library Director Rodney Bland arrived to find about 40 fallen ceiling tiles and two to three inches of water in the children’s area, according to the November 21 Dallas Morning News. The water had also seeped to the adult fiction area, two public restrooms, and near the reference desk. “Three thousand gallons of water can do a lot of damage to a library,” Bland said.
Bland said 1,000 children’s books are considered a total loss and up to 2,000 more may have suffered irreparable damage. Although the city is insured, several bookstores and nearby libraries have offered support.
Total damage is estimated at as much as $100,000. An investigation into the cause of the broken pipe is underway.
Posted December 5, 2005.