The Ottawa Public Library says its Nepean Centrepointe branch at Ben Franklin Place will reopen next week, nearly a full month after being flooded on Canada Day. In an update on its website, the Ottawa Public Library says the exterior drop box for returns will open Monday, July 27, while the first and second floors of the library will open Thursday, July 30. The lower level of the library will remain closed until November for restoration work. Earlier this month, the library confirmed to CTV News Ottawa that the branch sustained damage to flooring, furnishings, fixtures, equipment, and other building materials and systems following the severe weather on July 1. The affected areas contained approximately 40,000 items, but damage to the collections was expected to be limited to items on lower shelves. Children’s programs at the branch will resume when it reopens and a “small children’s collection” will be available on the first floor, the Ottawa Public Library says. Bookings for public computers, Imagine Space equipment, and other reservable services will resume on Monday, July 27. The storm on Canada Day brought more than 100 millimetres of rain to parts of Ottawa, particularly in the west end, flooding thousands of basements. No reopening date for Carlingwood branch The Ottawa Public Library says there is currently no reopening date for the Carlingwood branch on Woodroffe Avenue, which was also damaged by flooding. “Our teams continue to work on restoration of the lower level, and we will share information about a confirmed reopening date in August,” the library said on its website. The exterior book drop remains closed, and residents are asked not to return items to the Carlingwood branch until further notice. The nearest open branches are Emerald Plaza (1547 Merivale Rd.), and Rosemount (18 Rosemount Ave.), and the Nepean Centrepointe branch (101 Centrepointe Ave.) when it reopens next week. The areas affected by flooding at the Carlingwood branch contained approximately 25,000 items, staff previously told CTV News Ottawa.
