A roof leak at the Hildreth Elementary School library damaged several shelves full of picture books and teachers’ resource materials last Wednesday, Feb. 24. School had been cancelled that day because of snow and freezing rain. As a result, the problem was not discovered until mid-afternoon, when a custodian found the damage.

By the following morning, media specialist Peggy Harvey and her helpers had set the sodden books up on end, pages spread to help them dry. Some were so thoroughly soaked that they will probably have to be discarded. Harvey noted that mold had already begun to form on some books.

Insurance will probably not cover the damage, according to Harvey, because the school’s policy has a $5,000 deductible. The library roof has leaked before in the same general area, Harvey said, but losses were worse this time because the problem went undiscovered for so long.

Despite the problem, the library remained open for classes, even as the books slowly dried.