The Essex Public Library is still sorting through the damage that resulted when its basement flooded after last week’s historic rainfall.
Director Ann Grealish-Rust estimates that one-third of the library’s collection of children’s and young adult books were damaged by nearly a foot of water that had collected in the Essex basement last Tuesday.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Grealish-Rust. “This has been a very emotional week for us.”
While the downstairs, which includes the building’s only public restroom, will be closed indefinitely, Tuesday was the first day the library was fully open to the public since the storm. Previously, Essex was open exclusively for dropping off and picking up books that people had borrowed from other libraries.
“We’re trying to maintain services as much as we can while cleanup is going on,” said Grealish-Rust.
Warwick, R.I-based Clean Care of New England has been on site since last Wednesday attempting to get the basement cleaned up [...]

Original post by Kevin P. O’Connor