Flood Updates
January 04, 2024
We're busy doing the behind-the-scenes work to bring our critical building systems above the flood line and rebuild our basement to be more flood resilient. We are hoping construction will commence in spring 2024 - stay tuned!
In the meantime the Library is fully operational (yes we have heat and wifi!) except for the elevator and the book sale. The basement remains closed.
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While we wait for elevator reconstruction, unfortunately our building is not ADA Accessible. We are committed to offering accommodations to anyone who cannot access the building including; concierge/readers' advisory service, pickup at our school street exit, outdoor reference and tech help, an outdoor chromebook, phone and email help, printing services , home delivery and more. If you have an accessibility question or need, email cpicazio@kellogghubbard.org.
October 10, 2023
On Saturday, October 7, we were able to reopen our doors to the public for the first time since the flood. Our fire alarm system was restored Friday afternoon, and the building inspector reviewed the space the same day. We are grateful to all of our librarians and staff who worked to get the building reopened! The carpeting in the School Street entrance has been replaced, and sheet rock has been installed on the damaged walls in that area.
This week we are working to restore hot water to the building and next week will begin work on the heating system. For now the building is staying warm; with 22-inch thick granite walls, it takes a long time to cool down in the fall!
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Our elevator is out-of-order for several more months while we move the controls for it above the flood line and arrange for parts and replacement. During that time our building will not be ADA Accessible. We are committed to offering accommodations to anyone who cannot access the building including; concierge/readers' advisory service, pickup at our school street exit, outdoor reference and tech help, an outdoor chromebook, phone and email help, printing services , home delivery and more. If you have an accessibility question or need, email cpicazio@kellogghubbard.org.
September 26, 2023
Our full power was restored last week; located in a temporary shed outside. We're waiting for our fire alarms and sprinklers to be restored and then we will be able to open our building back up to patrons and visitors and resume our pre-flood hours. Our elevator will still be out of commission, possibly for months, and we will provide phone/email/outdoor services and arrange for materials pickup at our school street entrance while the building is without an elevator. Next we'll be working to restore heating; hopefully before the weather turns cold! Our basement is still gutted - rebuilding that space and restoring the meeting room and book sale is still months away. We cannot accept book donations; please do not leave donations for us in the book drop or on the curbside table; we truly have nowhere to put them!
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August 23, 2023
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Electricians are on site working to restore full power to the building. This is a critical key step toward reopening to the public, as our fire safety and sprinkler systems require full power. We've been working under limited provisional power, with the only items we are capable of powering being those plugged in via long extension cords to a temporary panel. We are aiming to reopen to the public by the end of September, though we will not have our elevator, HVAC system, or other major systems restored for several months. We are striving to serve our community as well as we can given the circumstances. Here is an overview of current services offered:
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Curbside Service: request library materials online via your library account, by emailing info@kellogghubbard.org or by calling 802-223-3338. The following business day you will find your materials on the table under the tent on our front lawn with your name on them.
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Concierge Service: Call 802-223-3338 or email info@kellogghubbard.org for materials for adults or nwestbom@kellogghubbard.org for materials for children or teens. Let us know what kinds of things you like and we will make selections for you. When you pick up your materials, simply return anything you don’t want to the outdoor book returns.
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Public Wi-Fi: Connect to the KHL-Guest network from outside of the building
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Printing: email your files to info@kellogghubbard.org. The following business day you will find your materials on the table under the tent on our front lawn with your name on them.
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Public Computer: one public computer is available at the top of the front steps for brief patron use.
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Digital Services: connect to our digital services 24/7 from any internet connected device. Access ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video, graphic novels and more at www.kellogghubbard.org/digital.
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Adult and Youth Programs: Many adult and youth programs are continuing, both off-site and virtually.
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Temporary Cards at the Aldrich Library: If you miss the browsing experience, bring your KHL card and proof of residence to the Aldrich Library and you will be issued a 3-month temporary patron card.
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Thank you so much for all your kind words and generous support. All of our match funds have been exhausted, but we are still facing a large gap between our funds raised and the total cost of restoring the library. Please consider making a donation to support our work.
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Thank you!
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July 20, 2023
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We opened for Curbside Services Yesterday! Already, we've filled hundreds of book requests from the curbside tables under the tent on our front lawn. Our local network support, RB Technologies, is working to set up our phone systems as quickly as possible. We'll post on our front page once phone service is restored.
Our wifi network is partially restored, you should be able to connect to the KHL-Guest network from outside our building. Inside, our crew is removing wet plaster from the basement walls and finishing getting things dried out and cleaned up to be ready for the long rebuilding process.
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By the end of the day today we will have 1 public computer set up on our front porch for brief patron use.
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The Aldrich Library in Barre has extended use of their meeting rooms to KHL patrons, as well as use of their public computers.
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We can print documents for you! Please email any print jobs to info@kellogghubbard.org and we will print and then put your documents on the curbside table labelled with your name.
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You can also connect to our digital services 24/7 from any internet connected device. Access ebooks, audiobooks, streaming video, graphic novels and more at www.kellogghubbard.org/digital.
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If you have questions or comments please reach out via email at info@kellogghubbard.org
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On a (fun?) note: Our librarians are wearing headlamps to pull books from the darker areas of the Library while we have no lights; it's quite an adventure to find new ways to provide the best library services we possibly can in the circumstances!
pictured above: our curbside table.
July 18, 2023
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We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the herculean volunteers who cleaned out our flooded basement and to all of the donors who are helping fund our recovery; we are continually grateful for the support and affection that this community offers the public library.
The Library will resume curbside services as of WEDNESDAY JULY 19th and be available Mon – Fri 10 – 6:30 and Sat 10 – 2. We hope to have phones restored within the week; for now you can request library materials online via your library account or by emailing info@kellogghubbard.org. The following business day you will find your materials on the table under the tent on our front lawn with your name on them.
Our concierge service will also resume: email info@kellogghubbard.org for materials for adults or nwestbom@kellogghubbard.org for materials for children or teens. Let us know what kinds of things you like and we will make selections for you. When you pick up your materials, simply return anything you don’t want to the outdoor book returns.
You can return materials to the book drops. We have librarians working in the building daily. The summer reading program, outreach and home delivery programs are all running more-or-less normally. If you cannot access the library for flood related or mobility reasons, let us know and we may be able to deliver your items to you.
Currently the library is running on provisional power. For safety reasons, we cannot have patrons and visitors inside the building until our power and emergency systems are fully restored.
Pictured Left: The first book sale room pre-cleanup. Pictured Right: First book sale room today.
July 14, 2023, 5:00 pm
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We have (provisional) power again! A massive thanks to Green Bolt Electric, Green Mountain Power, and KHL's Jason Kass for all of their incredible work!
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Pictured above: a working lamp!!
July 14, 2023, 12:00 PM
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Good morning,
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I hope that you are well and that you are receiving the support you need for recovering from this terrible flood. The Montpelier Alive website has an excellent resource page at https://montpelieralive.com/flood2023.
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It’s been a challenging few days here at the library. The water has been pumped out of the basement, and additional cleanup work is occurring presently. We are working to get some amount of electricity restored. We may be able to have folks here soon to help haul out the books – stay tuned. Then work turns to dehumidifying and gutting the basement. Nearly every building system will need significant repair or replacement, and the basement will need to be reconstructed. While we have not yet spoken with the building inspector, at this point, we are preparing for the possibility that the building may be closed to the public for months, rather than weeks.
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Just as they did at the beginning of the pandemic, I know that our incredible library staff will rise to this challenge and find creative ways to serve our community.
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We'll send out the Bat Signal when we're ready for your help. For now, please consider a donation to the library via https://www.kellogghubbard.org/donate-now and to the Montpelier Alive Community Recovery Fund at https://montpelieralive.com/flood2023.
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Thank you, and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dan
Dan Groberg (he/him)
Executive Director
Kellogg-Hubbard Library
dgroberg@kellogghubbard.org
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July 14, 2023, 8:00 AM
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Volunteers: We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has volunteered to help with the cleanup at the Library. Due to safety risks, we are unable to accept volunteer help at this time. We are working with a professional company to mitigate and repair the damage to our basement. As soon as we can bring in volunteers, we will reach out and update this page. In the meantime, if you are able to donate, that will help our recovery efforts.
Library Services: We are working to resume services as quickly as possible and will post updates here. All current holds will be extended until we can find a way to get your books to you! You can return books to our book drops, we are able to check them in remotely. Roads and conditions permitting, offsite summer reading programs should still be on-schedule.
Thank you for your patience and support!
If you have any questions or concerns, please email info@kellogghubbard.org
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-Carolyn Picazio
Library Director
July 12, 2023
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Good morning,
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First, I hope that all of you are safe and well. I know that each of you reading this has been affected by the destructive force of this storm, in all six of our supporting towns as beyond. We are all in this together, and we will recover from this collective trauma in the way that Vermonters always have: with grit, resourcefulness, and decency.
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Regarding the library, the good news is that the first and second floor and the Leahy Wing and all our collections remained dry. The bad news is that our basement is fully submerged with water. In addition to the East Montpelier room and our booksale, the basement also contained many critical building systems that we fear are damaged or a complete loss. Flood recovery professionals are on the way to the library to pump out the basement and begin cleanup. We currently have no electricity or water service in the building. While we won’t know more until after the basement is cleared, it could be several weeks before the building is safe to reopen.
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I know you are likely eager to help. Right now, we have to let the cleanup professionals do their job and determine next steps. Please consider signing up for Montpelier Alive’s volunteer database here or make a donation to the library here. I know an effort is underway to create a community recovery fund, and I will share more information when it is available.
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The Kellogg-Hubbard has always been far more than just the building. I know there are creative ways that we can continue to serve our community. Even as we do the work to dig out from the storm, we are discussing how library programming and services can continue in some form in the coming weeks. We always welcome your ideas and feedback.
Thank you, and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Dan
Dan Groberg (he/him)
Executive Director
Kellogg-Hubbard Library
dgroberg@kellogghubbard.org
Flooded intersection at School Street and Main Street
Floodwaters in the Library's School Street entrance
Water in basement stairwell
Water in basement lobby leading to the booksale and East Montpelier meeting room
Water level in basement systems room seen through broken window