Salem State opts to replace closed library

SALEM – The library at Salem State College – closed more than a year ago due to serious structural deficiencies – will be demolished and replaced with a new structure, officials confirmed Monday.Engineers working with the school and the State Division of Capitol Assets Management, the state entity that oversees public college buildings, have determined that the building is structurally unsound and would be more expensive to repair than replace.”We are still waiting our final report, but we have enough preliminary information to know the current library cannot be salvaged,” said college spokesperson Karen Cady.The library was abruptly closed in October 2007 after an engineering report detailed serious concerns with the structural integrity of the building, which features interior overhangs and a bizarre architectural design that makes the building appear top heavy.The report detailed problems to office areas and holding shelves, and suggested the weight of the school’s books and equipment was not properly supported.The new structure could go in the same area or somewhere else on the school’s north or central campus, where they are also planning to build a new dormitory in the future.With its location in close proximity to one residence hall and actually attached to the Meier Hall Academic Building via an elevated walkway, Cady said the demolition of the library will be extremely challenging and handled with care.”They are going to have to go through quite an engineering process to bring that building down,” she said. “I am not a structural engineer, but I think anyone can see looking at that building that it will be quite a task to bring it down.”The school has not set a timetable for the project and is currently unaware of the cost or where funding will come from.Students have been using a temporary library on central campus since the 2007 closing.