Crews will remove asbestos from Modesto library basement

Officials plan to close the Modesto library Nov. 26 for an asbestos cleanup on the basement floor.

Library manager Michael Leamy said the work will replace the flooring in the basement, some of which contains asbestos. He said patrons on the main floor of the library at 1500 I St. are not exposed to the material.

The cleanup over Thanksgiving weekend will cost almost $40,000 and replace flooring that dates to construction of the library in 1971. The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors approved the temporary closure under a consent item Tuesday.

Leamy said each time a basement floor tile has come loose, the library has gone through an asbestos abatement process at some expense.

Some tiles have been replaced over the years, but there are no records identifying the newer ones or the originals containing asbestos. The cancer-causing substance is also in the adhesive under the tiles.

Replacing the entire floor will solve the problem for good, Leamy said.

According to the manager, library patrons do not use the basement floor. The flooring is more of a safety issue for employees who work in the basement, including information technology staff and workers who put stickers on books and catalog materials.

Since the library was already scheduled to be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) and Nov. 25, closing it on Nov. 26 (a Saturday) will allow four consecutive days for the abatement from Thanksgiving Day to Nov. 27. The library will open again Nov. 28.

“We thought people would be uneasy about being in the library when the abatement is going on,” Leamy said.

This story was originally published October 19, 2016 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Crews will remove asbestos from Modesto library basement."