City and library officials announced last week that the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Holmesburg branch will close for three-plus weeks as crews repair the inside of the building.
The interior of the building, built in 1907 and located at 7810 Frankford Ave. (at Hartel Avenue), has experienced water damage.
A crew has repaired the roof and performed brick-pointing work on the outside, and the inside has stayed dry during recent rainfall.
However, there is existing damage from previous storms. The city’s risk management division found a small amount of mold on a wall, and it was removed with a bleach solution.
The library will temporarily shut down after the close of business this Friday at 5 p.m.
Much of the work will be the scraping and cleaning of plaster. The ceiling will be repainted and the rugs cleaned. Plastic sheeting will be placed over books and materials.
All of that work, and the presence of scaffolding, is forcing the temporary closing.
The work will take two weeks, followed by a week of cleanup. The library will reopen on Monday, Nov. 5, at noon.
Administrators Bill Fleming, Joe Benford and Julie Doty told patrons and members of the Friends of Holmesburg Library during a Sept. 24 meeting that staff will be redeployed.
Mail will be delivered and shipments accepted by a security guard who will be present during the repair work.
Returns of materials can be taken to other local branches. Fees will be waived for past due materials.
Anybody who has ordered a material to be held can pick it up at the Tacony Branch, at Torresdale Avenue and Knorr Street. ••
