Library’s Reopening Delayed for Repairs

County officials said Thursday that the earthquake-damaged Simi Valley Library, which they had initially hoped to reopen Monday, will remain closed for at least two more weeks while repair work continues.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Oaks Library is also expected to reopen in mid-March, and the Fillmore Library is scheduled to reopen Monday.

The Simi Valley reopening is being delayed because interior work on the facility is taking longer than expected and damage to columns that support a canopy over the library walkway is more severe than originally thought, said Dixie Adeniran, director of the Ventura County Library Services Agency.

A temporary bookmobile parked outside the library will remain in use, she said.

Work in Fillmore was limited to cleaning up and shoring up shelves inside the facility, Adeniran said.

In Thousand Oaks, where the quake shook loose the metal ceiling, ruptured water pipes and sent thousands of books tumbling off shelves, the facility is scheduled to reopen March 14.

However, new carpeting will not arrive until about six weeks after the reopening, and officials do not know when the library’s inner ceiling will be replaced. The library will probably close for three to five days when the carpet is laid, Library Director Marvin Smith said.

Because the metal ceiling contributed about 60% of the library’s light--by reflecting beams off its shiny surface--the reading areas and bookshelves will be somewhat dark, Smith said.

The dim light will curtail library hours. If the City Council approves, he said, the library will be open from 10 or 11 a.m. until about 5:30 p.m.