The Los Altos Neighborhood Library was reopened Wednesday afternoon after being closed for a few hours due to the building’s HVAC system experiencing some problems, according to city officials.
Glenda Williams, the city’s director of Library Services, confirmed that the library was reopened around 4 p.m. after Public Works crews were able to fix the issues with the library’s air condition system.
Williams said earlier Wednesday that the building was forced to close because of the lost air circulation potentially causing COVID-19 health concerns.
PREVIOUSLY: Los Altos Neighborhood Library temporarily closed due to HVAC issues
9/22/2021 at 1:53 p.m. | The Los Altos Neighborhood Library in East Long Beach was temporarily closed Wednesday due to issues with its air conditioning system, according to city officials.
Long Beach City Councilman Daryl Supernaw, who represents the area where the library is located, announced the closure on Twitter. Supernaw said he was told that Public Works was being dispatched to work on the air HVAC system but he had no idea when it would reopen.
“These are old buildings and they need a lot of TLC and if they don’t get it, you’re closed,” Supernaw said. “It’s that simple.”
The library is located on Britton Drive behind a shopping center at the intersection of Bellflower Boulevard and Stearns Street.
While the nearly 90-degree heat could create an uncomfortable visit to the library, the Wednesday closure was not necessarily due to heat, according to Glenda Williams, Long Beach’s director of Library Services.
“With COVID the HVAC needs to be working perfectly,” Williams said. “We want to keep everyone that comes into the building as safe as possible.”
Williams noted that not everyone who comes into the library is able to get vaccinated. Some are immunocompromised and others, like children under the age of 12, are not eligible to be vaccinated. A functioning HVAC system helps to ensure that the air in the building is circulated.
Williams said she’s hopeful that the library could be reopened by Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning at the latest.