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The worst water damage to the Boston Public Library in 120 years occurred shortly after midnight August 16 when an 1895-vintage water main ruptured and sent tens of thousands of gallons gushing through the basements of the two main library buildings. Three feet of water saturated the first three shelves of almost every basement book stack, according to the August 17 Boston Globe.
By mid-September, public works officials had still not determined the cause of the break in the water main, which had undergone a restoration 10 years ago. The library remained closed August 17-19 to allow the staff to assess the damage.
When the library's newer Johnson building reopened on August 20, water was still trickling into the basement, but pumps were able to prevent further damage, supervisor of general library services June Eiselstein told American Libraries.
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