Library repair works - unfinished after about two years!

 In late September, I visited the library for the first time in about eighteen months, and while I was pleased to be back, I found something rather disturbing in the children's library.

What is now the children's library is the oldest part and the original part of the library, having been built in 1905. The majority of the library's area is a CLASP structure built in the mid-1960s; the original part of the library then became the children's library.

About two years ago, the original part of the library was beginning to show some signs of deterioration and eventually the south-western corner of the children's library was cordoned off (with bookcases, if I can remember correctly.) Then (you know what happened!) happened. I thought that by now, as the library had been closed for long periods, the repairs would have been over and done with, and the children's library would be looking as good as new.

Nope.

In fact, during the year and a half when I didn't visit the library, it had gotten worse! Now the entire south wall was cordoned off. I wonder why on earth it couldn't have been fixed in all this time!

The next time I visited the library, things were even worse. Now there was also scaffolding on the outside of the library.

Someone told me that perhaps inadequate heating (due to the library being closed during lockdown) could have contributed to the alarming state of the oldest part of the library. However, whatever the cause, this now requires serious attention.