Sebastopol Regional Library to partially reopen after mold closure

Sebastopol Regional Library to partially reopen after mold closure

The Sebastopol Regional Library will resume a limited range of services on August 10, more than two months after the facility closed abruptly due to the discovery of black mold. The partial reopening, titled Sebastopol Library To-Go, will be centered in the building's community room.

According to library officials, patrons will be permitted to return borrowed materials, pick up holds, and browse a restricted selection of books within the community room. Erika Thibault, the Sonoma County Library director, stated in an email that while the arrangement is not a full-service library, it serves to restore convenient local access to popular new materials and holds until the main facility can reopen.

The closure began on June 4 after library staff identified moisture intrusion and peeling wallpaper in the staff room and the teen area. Subsequent exploratory openings of the walls revealed dry rot, moisture, and elevated mold spore levels within the wall cavities. Initial response phases included cleanup and the containment of the mold.

To facilitate the partial reopening, environmental testing was conducted in the community room on July 20 by Servpro, the contractor hired for inspection and cleaning. Thibault stated that these tests showed no health hazards were present. City Manager Mary Gourley added that a city consultant found no moisture intrusion or mold in the evaluated exterior walls, and air quality testing by Regas Environmental confirmed that the air quality in the room was normal.

Based on these assessments, Gourley said the city determined it was not necessary to open the walls in the community room. However, remediation continues elsewhere in the city-owned building. Specialists have used negative air pressure systems and physical barriers to isolate affected areas from the rest of the facility to protect library materials. Gourley noted that crews are expected to begin removing affected walls next week, though further damaged areas concealed by drywall and wall coverings may be discovered.

The Sebastopol City Council authorized up to $175,000 on July 7 for investigative demolition and remediation to find the source of the moisture and the extent of the outbreak. Officials have not yet announced a date for the full reopening of the library.

The community room will operate under the following schedule:

• Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays: 2 p.m. To 6 p.m.
• Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 10 a.m. To 2 p.m.
• Sundays: Closed

Staff will be available on-site for assistance, and Wi-Fi access will be provided outside the building. In the interim, the library will continue off-site programming at Ives Park and is currently in discussions with the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center to host additional events. Expanded hours at the Forestville Community Library, which served as a temporary pickup point for Sebastopol patrons, will end on August 9.