Mold problems forcing Waterbury library to toss 20,000 items

WATERBURY, Conn. --A mold outbreak in the basement of Waterbury's main library is forcing officials to throw out about 20,000 books, magazines and other items.

The items, some of which date to the 19th century, were damaged by mold that was spawned by humidity and ventilation problems in the Silas Bronson Library's 10,000-square-foot basement storage area.

The volumes range from an old Congressional Record and 1892 World Almanac to copies of Opera World Magazine, Gallup Poll results from the 1970s and a vast array of government publications.

Library officials say they expect to throw away the items over the next few months, and that the city is seeking bids to clean the storage area and eradicate the mold problem.

"A lot of those old bound volumes are somewhat contaminated, and I don't know whether they're worth cleaning anymore," library Director Emmett McSweeney said.

Experts warn that extensive exposure to mold spores on library collections can cause breathing problems, infections and skin irritation.

The Silas Bronson Library has about 265,000 volumes in its inventory, and officials say many of the items headed for the trash bin were rarely used or can still be viewed in electronic form.

Some other items stored in the basement were unique, however, and help illustrate Waterbury's industrial history. They include old city records and scores of instruction manuals for machines and equipment manufactured there.

"I feel I have to keep those, even if I have to seal them in individual baggies," McSweeney said. "Whatever I have to do, I'll do."

The city recently purchased dehumidifiers for the storage area and improved the ductwork in hopes of avoiding more mold problems before the cleanup takes place, officials said.

A lot of history is packed into those cracked old almanacs and Depression-era magazines, McSweeney said.

"We still don't want to lose it," he said. "We save the world's memory -- that's one way to think about what a library does."

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Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.com