The Willie Morris Library is now open, although repairs remain to be done.
The meeting room is unavailable to use. The men’s room needs repairs and is locked when not in use; a patron must request the key from the information desk to use it.
The re-opening of the library on April 8 met an informal deadline that Floyd Council, executive director of the library system, had set. He said on April 13 he hoped to have the library open by June 1 before the start of the summer reading program.
The library has been closed due to a pipe that burst in the men’s restroom on Jan. 28 and flooded about two-thirds of the facility.
Because of water damage, the men’s restroom needs new drywall, a new vanity and sink and the meeting room also needs new drywall. A small kitchen area near the meeting room also needs repair, including replacement of the cabinets that were damaged.
The flooding means new flooring is needed in much of the library.
Louis P. Wright Sr., chief administrative officer for the cityof Jackson, said in April that a settlement has not been negotiated with the insurance provider for the Willie Morris Library, but the city is moving ahead with repairs.
The insurance provider knows about the damage to the building and photos have been taken showing the damage, he said.
“We’re not waiting on the insurance,” Wright said. “We want to get that open as soon as possible.”
By state law, the city of Jackson is responsible for maintaining the branches in the city and Hinds County is responsible for those in the county.
