An overflowing toilet cistern had forced the closure of the Te Anau Library until October 13, Southland District Council Library manager Lynda Hodge said yesterday.
Mrs Hodge said one of the toilet cisterns in the neighbouring public toilets overflowed on Tuesday night. When staff arrived at the library on Wednesday morning, water was 5cm deep throughout the library.
"Luckily, the books are on shelves six inches off the ground but some magazines have been damaged and books returned through the drop-off hole got a bit wet," Mrs Hodge said.
Carpet throughout the library will need to be replaced, along with some furniture and plumbing and some repainting would need to be done as well.
However, the flood would have a silver lining for district library users, with an amnesty on overdue fines across the area during the three-week closure.
Existing fines still stand.
Te Anau library users can return their books to the Te Anau Council office or to any other library and can also borrow books from any other library.
While the library had been closed since Wednesday, people were "jumping a bike stand" to come in.
"I didn't realise we were so popular," Mrs Hodge said.
