Shelby Township Library offers curbside service during water damage recovery

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — The Shelby Township Library began offering curbside service this week, as it continues to clean up after pipes froze and burst on Christmas Eve, causing — in the words of the township’s website — a “substantial claim.”

The library has been closed since the water damage occurred. According to the township, the worst of the damage affected employee offices, the library’s technology lab and meeting rooms. While furniture and fixtures were damaged, the water from the burst pipes missed the library’s materials.

“Not one book, audiobook, DVD, Blu-ray, magazine, newspaper or other library material was damaged — not one,” Library Director Katie Ester stated in a press release Jan. 4. “This is absurdly unusual, and we are thankful for that. Also, Travelers Insurance was immensely pleased that we were working with BELFOR. They have a long-standing relationship with BELFOR and trust their work. I believe this will make the claim process smoother.”

In a comment emailed to the Shelby-Utica News, Ester said that many special features of the library were spared from damage.

“We are very thankful that none of the features that make our library so unique were damaged. There was no damage to our collection, the Pewabic tile mural, the Children’s Tree, our Everbrite wall, the fireplace and reading lounge, or the art glass donor mural. While it’s a big job, everything damaged is replaceable and covered by our insurance,” Ester said.

The township announced in the Jan. 4 press release that curbside service would begin Jan. 9.

The service will be available from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. To arrange a pickup, call (586) 739-7414. Library staff will be available to help patrons at that phone number or by email at shelbylib@libcoop.net.

“As we did during COVID, we will allow folks to pick up books and other library materials, get library cards and assist with other services through a drive-up curbside model. This is hard on staff during winter weather, but it’s the only way to provide library service at this time. We did it before. We can do it again. January is not ideal, but neither was 100-degree weather in a tent in our parking lot in 2020. We’ll be thankful for the small mercies in this situation. Luckily, this was clean water, not sewage or gray water,” Ester said in the press release.

All digital services remain available at shelbytwp.org/library. Those who had materials checked out before the damage occurred may return them to the library’s drop box on the building’s eastern exterior wall. The drop box is always available.

The township has referred to what happened as a “mechanical failure,” but more details have been unavailable. The brand-new library held its grand opening back on June 25.

“Currently, the insurance claim adjuster is investigating the cause and fault of the mechanical failure. Following that, the township will be able to provide further information on the nature of the failure and a timeline for reopening the library,” the Jan. 4 press release states.

The township stated in the release that the library was fully insured against the water damage. “Because of this, there is no financial burden to taxpayers beyond the deductible,” the release states.

Ester stated in the release that the library, in conjunction with the Suburban Library Cooperative, would replace all the computers and components in the tech lab, which includes 19 desktops, 10 laptops, a printer, a scanner and two large screens.

According to the township, BELFOR has been working to clean up and restore the library since Dec. 26. It reportedly brought hundreds of fans and large dehumidifiers to dry out the library, it mapped the entire building in three dimensions, and it recorded the damages.

“We have the same team working on the library that we had working on the remediation and reopening of Shelby Manor apartments after the fire in 2012,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said in a comment emailed to the Shelby-Utica News. “That was a much larger job with many more moving parts, and it was done on time and minimized the impact on the residents of Shelby Manor. I’m confident this job will be similar in that we’ll have our library open and serving patrons ASAP.”