The Jaffrey Public Library will have a delayed opening on Tuesday, Jan. 3 for needed building maintenance.
Incoming Library Director Julie Perrin said the library will be opening at 3 p.m., two hours later than the building normally opens on Tuesdays. Perrin said a company is coming in to clean the duct work in the building.
“The trustees have been doing a lot of air quality work,” said Perrin, who is currently serving as the Stephenson Memorial Library Director in Greenfield. Perrin takes over in Jaffrey on Jan. 11.
Library Trustees chair Francis McBride said the trustees have been working to combat mold and other allergens in the library, specifically in the basement area, since October.
McBride said the trustees caught wind of the issue in October after having a number of people began to complain about smelling mold.
“We discovered we had a mold problem,” said McBride. “The building is over 100 years old.”
McBride said much of the issue in the basement was due to a layer of drywall being put up in front of some of the brick foundation. Moisture began to seep through the bricks and accumulate in the air cavity between the walls, trapping mold.
The trustees brought people in to cut the lower two feet of the drywall, which prevents any air pockets between the two walls. There have been a number of cleaning efforts which culminates in the duct cleaning on Jan. 3.
The trustees have yet to receive a bill at this time, but McBride speculates the work will cost about $8,000. McBride said at least some of that cost will be paid for by the Library Trustees, although he admitted some could potentially some from the town’s building maintenance capital reserve fund, should any request be approved by the town.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235.