LAKEVIEW, Ohio — It's been a week since a deadly EF3 tornado moved through Logan County’s Lakeview neighborhood and the staff at a local library sorted through the debris of their building finding few things that were spared.
Logan County Library Director Beverly Arlequeeuw said staff members went to the Lakeview Branch Library to see what was salvageable, but most things were destroyed. Things were reportedly blown off shelves, covered in dirt and wet from rain after the storm left large holes in the roof.
“We are just heartbroken about the Lakeview Branch Library having sustained heavy damage from the EF3 tornado on Thursday, March 14, 2024,” Arlequeeuw said in a statement. “It was in the direct path of the tornado.”
Arlequeeuw wrote that the tornado struck after hours, so no patrons or staff members at the Lakeview Branch Library were injured.
The library’s windows were all broken, insulation was wet and there was loose debris everywhere. Staff members even reportedly found books and DVDs in the ceiling.
An insurance adjuster told the staff that the 1,200-square-foot building was unstable and could cave at any time, so no one should enter the building anymore.
The recommendation was to bulldoze the building with all the library contents inside.
It will be declared a total loss.
The next step for the branch is to see if the Village of Lakeview will be building a new library building since the library does not rent or own the building -- it was provided free of charge by the village.
There are plans to set up computer services and library programs in the Lakeview area, but the library must first find an alternate location.
“The Lakeview Branch of the Logan County Libraries has been in this community for 67 years, since 1957, and we would like to continue serving the residents in the Lakeview community,” Arlequeeuw wrote. “We remain committed to one day having a library back in the Lakeview community!”
Library patrons will not be held liable for any lost or damaged items and all losses from the tornado will be forgiven, Arlequeeuw said.
“We want to give library patrons time to deal with their personal losses first before worrying about library items they have checked out, lost, or damaged. Their library items can be returned to or picked up at any branch of the Logan County Libraries (Bellefontaine, DeGraff, Rushsylvania, West Mansfield, or West Liberty).”
All of the library’s programs and services are paused until further notice.
