Sprinkler damage at Vancouver's main library worse than previously thought
Library's automated sorting system was also damaged and books are now being sorted by hand
Water damage at Vancouver's downtown public library is worse than previously thought, officials have confirmed.
The atrium and basement level of the main branch were flooded early last Friday morning, after the sprinklers accidently went off around 5:30 a.m. PT.
According to chief librarian Sandra Singh, a film crew was packing up from an overnight shoot for the Supergirl television series when the sprinklers went off.
At the time, library officials said the damage was limited, and the library opened as scheduled that day at 10 a.m.,
But a week later, the cause of the incident is still under investigation, and it will be a few weeks before the damage is repaired and the full cost is known, said Singh.
"We are expecting that repairs will be covered by insurance, and we still don't have a sense of the total cost of the repair."
She said it was too early to talk about what might have caused the leak but said the film crew was in the process of leaving when the sprinklers went off.
Most of the damage was on the basement level of the library where the walls and floors in the meeting rooms were flooded.
A section of the library's automated sorting system was also damaged and books are now being sorted by hand, until it can be repaired.
In addition, about 1,000 books and DVDs from the library's collection that were in the sorting system were also damaged, along with a large number of second-hand books that were part of an annual fundraising sale.
Large areas of the atrium remain under tarps to keep dust down and ensure air quality, as workers strip drywall to help the area dry out.
In the meantime, the library remains open according to its regular schedule but events in the meeting rooms are being rebooked to other locations where possible, she said.