Rosenberg Library Repair & Improvement Projects

Rosenberg Library ca 1904

In the months following Hurricane Ike's devastation of the library’s first floor, the staff and Board of Directors of the Rosenberg Library have focused on a phased restoration of services to patrons and the relocation of vital building systems to the upper floors of the library.

	On/Before						After
	1/31/09	4/30/09	6/30/09	7/31/09	8/31/09	9/30/09	9/30/09
Alley Book Return (C)
Electrical Panel Relocation (C)
1st Floor Automatic Doors (C)
1st Floor Restrooms (C)
1st Floor Water Fountains (C)
East Entrance Lighting (C)
Elevator Pit Equipment Repair (C)
1st Floor Air Handler (C)
Fox/Gibson/McCullough Rooms
Hurricane Window Panel (C)
2nd Floor Air Handlers (C)
2nd Floor Restroom Repairs (C)
Mezzanine Carpeting (C)
Ceiling & Lighting Upgrade (C)
Public Address System (C)
Roof Repairs (C)
Second Floor Mechanical Rooms
Security System & Recabling
Smoke & Fire Security System (C)
South Porch Stairs (C)
Storm Shutters (C)
Telephone & Data Cabling (C)
Video Security System (C)
Gibson Room Shelving (C)
Electronic Security - First Floor Exits (C)
First Floor Electrical Repairs
Wall Mounted Shelving - Gibson Room (C)
Wall Mounted Shelving - History Center (C)
Peeling Paint Project - 1st Floor (C)
East Entrance Lighting (C)
East Entrance Closers
(C) Completed

Rosenberg Library Recovery Efforts

On the evening of September 12-13, the Hurricane Ike storm surge wiped out the first floor of the Rosenberg Library. At the height of the surge the library building had 75 inches of water on the first floor and considerably more than that in the Wortham Auditorium. The flood water completely wrecked all of the departments and library functions on the first floor including the children’s department, the Wortham Auditorium, the Randall meeting room, circulation department, technical services office, operations department, and the Friends sorting room and book shelf.

Under Construction - New ceiling and lighting system for the Moody Wing
Second Floor & Mezzanine

The library building also sustained damage to the roof and some of its hurricane panels. Probably the most devastating blow the library received from Hurricane Ike was the destruction of the building systems located on the first floor including the loss of the major electrical panels, the telephone system, Internet routing equipment, library materials security system, components of the HVAC, elevator systems, storm protection panels, control panel of the fire and smoke detection system, the building security system and the video monitoring system.

Under Construction - New electrical panels - Second Floor, Rosenberg Wing

The loss of these critical building systems hampered recovery efforts and plans for a quick reopening of the library.

In the [months following Hurricane Ike's devastation of] the library’s first floor, the staff and Board of Directors of the Rosenberg Library have focused on a phased restoration of services to patrons and the relocation of vital building systems to the upper floors of the library. The Rosenberg Library is currently providing service to its patrons through the east entrance of the building, but public access is currently limited to portions of the building’s Rosenberg Wing second floor. In addition to the repair and relocation of building systems from the first

Under Construction - New air handlers - Second Floor, Rosenberg Wing

floor, the library is also in the process of replacing the ceiling and lighting system on the second floor and mezzanine of the Moody Wing with the goal of increasing energy efficiency and to reducing its electric bill. Plans are also underway to replace the carpeting in the mezzanine which houses the library computer lab. The current round of repairs and upgrades are expected to be completed by the second week of June. Library plans call for reopening the entire second floor and mezzanine of the building as soon as the work is completed.