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As weekend temperatures climbed into the 80s, the Mountain View Library closed Sunday due to excessive heat in the building, a situation that has left staff workers and visitors wondering when the air conditioning finally will be fixed.
The custom part needed to fix the library’s malfunctioning HVAC system arrived more than a week ago, city officials previously told the Voice. But there still is no set installation date, according to Lenka Wright, the city’s chief communications officer.
“Arrangements are still being made for a specialist to install the part, which will take place as soon as possible,” she said in an email Monday morning. “In the interim, city staff is exploring options to prevent the building from becoming too hot until the repair can be made.”
For the library staff, the lack of air conditioning over the weekend made their work uncomfortable, with temperatures rising to 80 degrees in the children’s area and about 84 degrees upstairs by the reference desk early Saturday evening, employees told the Voice. The library was closed on Sunday because of the excessive heat indoors and reopened Monday.
The library’s air-conditioning problem is a recurring one, according to one staff worker who asked to remain anonymous, citing worries over retaliation. “The AC has definitely been kind of constantly breaking down over the years, and there have been lots of staff complaints and suggestions to management,” the staff worker said, adding that not much has been done to fix the air conditioning beyond piecemeal repairs.
The overheated building is particularly difficult for staff who are on their feet all day, shelving books and engaging in other forms of physical labor to keep the library running smoothly. While management has brought in electric fans as a temporary solution, it is not ideal for staff who are constantly moving, staff members said. Some have started wearing small, portable fans on lanyards and neck pillows and putting ice packs in their pockets to keep their bodies cool.
Another staff worker said that the library is looking into renting portable air-conditioning units until the HVAC system is repaired. Facility workers also have been coming in the evenings to bring in cool air from outside to reduce the library’s temperature, which made a difference on Monday, as the upstairs area was about 77 degrees.
“Things are moving in the right direction so I have hope,” the staff worker said.
