Schlow Library Closed Through at Least Tuesday for Clean Up from Burst Pipe

Count Schlow Centre Region Library among the damage from the frigid weather over Christmas weekend.

The library at 211 S. Allen St. in State College will be closed through at least Tuesday for clean up and repair after a pipe burst and caused water damage in the building on Saturday.

None of the library’s book collections were damaged, Schlow office manager DJ Lilly said.

The problem originated with a frozen sprinkler head in the second floor staff restroom, which sustained the brunt of the damage but should be able to be cleaned, she said. Water also traveled through doorways, causing wet carpeting near the audiobooks on the second floor, and down to the first floor, resulting in wet storage areas.

“The good news in all of this is that none of our collections were damaged, and it appears as though the vast majority of what did get wet can be cleaned,” Lilly said.

Library staff won’t know the extent of repairs needed until they can get in on Tuesday and begin cleaning.

“We’ll have our sprinkler system assessed by our vendor to make sure everything is OK, but we’re grateful that the heating and insulation that we’ve been adding to the building since the much more serious flooding situation we had in 2015 served its purpose and prevented anything more serious from happening [Saturday] night,” Lilly added.

That destruction from a burst pipe in 2015 was far more extensive, with tens of thousands of dollars in damage, including 1,500 books ruined, and the library being forced to close for two weeks.

This time around, staff are optimistic that the closure will be short-lived and the library should reopen on Wednesday. Any further delays in opening will be communicated on Schlow’s website and social media accounts.