Emma S. Clark Library temporarily closed

The Emma S. Clark Library is temporarily closed after staff noticed a strange odor on May 1. The smell was from a mold growth in a “contained area” of the Library, necessitating repairs to the HVAC system. 

 The mold, Cladosporium, is described by the National Institute of Health as one of the “most common fungal inhabitants worldwide”. It appears as black or brown spots in a wide variety of conditions and surfaces such as carpets, HVAC grills, wallpaper or wood surfaces,  and is particularly drawn to damp, not well-ventilated places like bathrooms or basements. 

The library will continue online zoom classes on the usual schedule, but will extend holds and due dates of books, museum passes and items. The prolonged possession of library property will not accrue late fees and holds will be extended for one week past the date of reopening. The library will reopen once air quality tests confirm the mold’s eradication. The library card can be used at any Suffolk County library.