The New Bern branch of the Craven-Pamlico Regional Library System will be temporarily relocating to allow for critical repairs to the building’s aging infrastructure.
The New Bern branch, located at 400 Johnson St., will temporarily move to the site of the former New Bern Fireman’s Museum at 408 Hancock St. while work is underway.
Library staff has contracted with the City of New Bern to lease the temporary location for a term of one year beginning on Sept. 15. The library board of trustees will rent the space for $1 while paying for utilities and insurance for the building. The lease agreement was approved by the New Bern Board of Aldermen last month.
According to Assistant County Manager Gene Hodges, immediately after Hurricane Florence in 2018 staff began to notice significant settling issues in the older part of the library, which dates back to the early 1960s. The County worked with both Engineered Foundation Solutions from Durham and Accident Reconstruction Analysis from Raleigh, which did similar work on the Riverfront Convention Center of Craven County, to produce scans of the library and report their findings.
Hodges said the repairs will take the library offline “for a considerable amount of time” and will require the replacement of the floor coverings throughout the facility.
While the Johnson Street site is closed, Hodges said the Craven County Facilities Department has recommended replacement of the air handler units throughout the library that have met their useful life and have required numerous repairs. Hodges said one unit is located in the middle of the library and there is the possibility of “minor demolition work and reconstruction” that could be required to change out the unit.
During their Sept. 5 meeting, Craven County Commissioners approved a budget amendment of $350,000 from the county’s Capital Reserve fund to pay for the air handler project.
Hodges said the estimate to make all the needed repairs to the library is approximately $1 million. Craven County is working with local representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly in an attempt to obtain a grant to assist in making the repairs to the New Bern branch, he told commissioners.
In an appearance before the New Bern Board of Aldermen on Aug. 22, Katherine Clowers, director of the Craven-Pamlico Regional Library, said the building sustained “significant” damage due to flooding during Hurricane Florence. Clowers said erosion of the soil beneath the library has caused the foundation slab to break and become raised in some areas. She estimated the repair work would take six to nine months to complete.
According to Clowers, the work will also include the installation of new carpet and upgrades to the tile in the restrooms and other areas as well as painting and repairs to cracks. When the library reopens, she said patrons could expect to see a more “contemporary” floor layout as well.
“As you are aware, the New Bern-Craven County Library is crucial to our community,” Clowers told the board. “We circulate over 395 hotspots for free Internet and over 150 laptops as well, and our circulation of books, e-books, audio books outdo most of the libraries on the eastern coast.”
By Todd Wetherington, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.