The Placer Countybranch library in Meadow Vista suffered significant water damage the weekend of Jan. 13-15 as a result of a broken sprinkler pipe. The facility will remain closed until further notice while damage assessment, clean up and restoration work takes place.
In the interim, patrons are encouraged to use other county libraries, particularly the Applegate and Auburnbranches which are the closest to Meadow Vista.
Beginning January 29, the Placer Countybookmobile will be parked at Meadow Vista Parkto provide services from noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays.
Online services also remain available; however books reserved online cannot be picked up in Meadow Vista. The Meadow Vista collection is not available online.
Materials returned to the library the weekend the damage occurred have all been accounted for. Books currently checked out from Meadow Vista should be returned to other library branches. Books on hold will be rerouted to another county library and patrons will be notified.
The water damage was discovered by staff from the Holiday Market on Monday, Jan. 15, who called the Placer Hills Fire Protection District for assistance. The library had been closed Saturday in celebration of the Martin Luther King holiday. It has not been determined when the sprinkler pipe actually broke. The library, which is leased by the county, is housed on the ground floor of a three-story building.
A restoration company hired by the owner’s insurance carrier is in the process of moving, drying, cleaning and salvaging the building contents.Undamaged materials are being safely stored for future use.It appears the carpet will need replacement and substantial repairs made to the ceiling and drywall.
“On behalf of library patrons and staff, I want to thank the community for its support during this challenging situation,” said Mark Parker, Placer County Director of Library Services.“Particularly, my thanks go to Tim Robinson from the Placer Hills Fire Protection District, George Lay, who is president of Friends of the Meadow Vista Library, and to county staff who rallied quickly on a holiday to help minimize the damage.The Library Advisory Board and other friends groups have also been very supportive.
“We also appreciate the community’s offers to help.While we don’t need their assistance now, we may when we put the library back together.We also need to hold off on accepting material donations until our assessment is complete.”
Meadow Vistalibrary patrons who have specific questions about library materials or other concerns should call 530-886-4550 for assistance. The library section of the Placer Countyweb site will also include future updates.
“The Meadow Vista library is very popular with residents, and we will do our best to get it back up and running as soon as possible,” said Supervisor Bruce Kranz, who represents the area.