MILLERTON — The NorthEast-Millerton Library is closed Tuesday, Feb. 10, after a pipe burst and flooded the basement.
The library's Executive Director, Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, said she could hear the sound of running water when she arrived at the library Tuesday morning. She then found about six inches of water had accumulated in the basement.
The library will remain closed until water can be restored. Leo-Jameson said limited library services will return Wednesday, Feb. 11, in the book sale room in the library's annex building on Century Boulevard.
Millerton firefighters connect hoses together to be used with a gas-powered pump to remove about six inches of standing water from the basement of the NorthEast-Millerton Library on Tuesday, Feb. 10.Photo by Nathan Miller
Leo-Jameson said readers can pick up requested books and make returns. Public computers may be available, if library staff can establish an internet connection.
Visitors will not be allowed to browse the library or enter the main building until water can be restored. It's unclear when that will be. Leo-Jameson said librarians can retrieve books from the library shelves if readers have a specific title in mind.
Leo-Jameson said nothing of value was damaged in the flooding. A crew from the Millerton Fire Department arrived on scene and shut off water to the building around 9:45 a.m.
Firefighters on scene said the leak sprung from a water pipe in the residential apartment located above the library. Leo-Jameson said the old pipes have been known to burst in the past due to poor insulation.
New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey buys two books from Oblong Books in Millerton on Thursday, April 23, after inducting the business into the state Historic Business Preservation Registry.
Hermans and Nelson opened Oblong Books in 1975 after graduating from college, finding a home for their bookstore at 32 Main St. Multiple relocations and more than 200 employees later, the business remains a fixture in Millerton.
“We’ve been through thick and thin,” said Dick Hermans. “I think we’ve been successful because we stay involved in the community.”
Employees of Oblong Books and local Town of North East and Village of Millerton officials gathered with State Senator Michell Hinchey on Thursday, April 23, to honor the bookstore’s placement on the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry.Photo Provided
The designation honors New York businesses that have operated for at least 50 years. Oblong is the first business from Millerton to receive the honor. “Oblong has stood the test of time, even in the age of e-commerce,” Hinchey said. “It has remained authentically true to its mission of human connection.”
In 2001, Hermans opened a second store in Rhinebeck. Hermans’ daughter Suzanna started working at Oblong shortly thereafter, helping the store navigate the newly-imperiled physical market.
“We thought that was going to be the death knell of books,” she said, “but it turns out a physical book is actually a perfect object. You can share it with a friend, or you can keep it for 50 years.”
The bookstore is known not only for its literary inventory, but also for author events, music selections and children’s toys.
The owners’ commitment to community also extends to the nonprofit world: since 2023, Oblong has partnered with the Beacon Prison Books project to provide free books to incarcerated individuals in the region.
E-books are now available on Oblong’s website, too. But the space has largely remained the same, with its weathered wooden floorboards and cozy nooks. There’s a section for music and records upstairs, and Oblong Jr. downstairs for younger readers and toy connoisseurs.
Next time visitors stop by, they will see something new: a window decal bearing the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry logo.
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