Two St. Louis Public Library locations will reopen this month after weathering significant damages in last year's tornado.
Cabanne Library in the Academy neighborhood and Julia Davis Library in Penrose have undergone repairs to treat fallen ceilings and water damage.
Justin Struttmann, St. Louis Public Library's chief operating officer, said the damage created an opportunity to make improvements to the locations — including restoration of the original architecture.
"The storm destroyed the suspended ceiling (at Cabanne), but what it revealed was just an absolutely beautiful clerestory above," Struttmann said. "I think when people first walk in and look up, it's going to be a sight to see."
Few books and computers were damaged, said Struttmann. But the Julia Davis location required costly repairs after the storm tore the rooftop HVAC unit off the building.
Struttmann said the library also improved accessibility at the entrance of the Julia Davis location.
In addition to debuting structural repairs, Julia Davis Library will rent electric and hand tools and a Memory Lab that can digitize VHS and cassette tapes, photo negatives and other older media.
The tool library is intended to help residents in the city's Penrose neighborhood, who were among those hit hardest by the storm. But Struttman said anyone with a St. Louis Public Library card can rent tools.
"Our staff have been working hard at providing new services for the folks that have been displaced," Struttman said. "It's amazing what libraries do, and the fact that we can be a part of making sure that that's returned to the community is amazing."
Julia Davis Library will also see the return of its shade garden, which lost its tree canopy in the storm.
Both locations will resume normal operating hours on May 18. The library will host reopening parties at the Cabanne location on May 18 and at the Julia Davis location on May 21.
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