OGDEN — The fate of the Weber County Main Library inches toward peril as officials presented findings from engineers and architects hired to examine the situation.
“Basically they told the board and the commission that failure in the building is imminent,” Library Director Lynnda Wangsgard said.
The 45-year-old building has had numerous fire scares recently and continues to have flooding and power issues.
To remedy the problem, surveyors recommended a three-step approach beginning with replacing the Southwest Branch with a new and larger building in the western area of Weber County.
The next step would be to move all support services, including administration and the print shop, to the new location.
Finally, rehabilitation work could begin in sections at the Main Library.
The entire process would take about five years.
A previous report revealed that it would be too costly to expand the Main Library.
To combat the high water table, the building is surrounded by a waterproof membrane. However, the membrane has sprung a leak, which floods parts of the building, such as an elevator shaft.
The building also has a boiler that needs to be replaced this year and wiring problems.
“We could have a fire that destroys the building at any time,” Wangsgard said.
The library is using its new digital signs to keep the public informed of the problems and developments toward correcting the issue.
“We’re trying to make the public understand that we are doing our best to keep this building open,” Wangsgard said, “but something needs to be done in the near future.”
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