Linda Brenner stood in the crowd, just behind a line of reporters, anxiously awaiting the ribbon-cutting that would mark the long-awaited reopening of the Southbury Public Library.
For nearly two years, Brenner worked at the library as a clerk in circulation. She knew better than most the depth of the damage caused by last August’s floods, which left the building shuttered for more than a year.
On Tuesday morning, less than a week after her final shift, Brenner was invited out of the crowd and into the ribbon-cutting photo. The small gesture carried weight: a personal moment of closure for her, and a symbol of the larger effort that brought the library back to life.
“This was a heck of a ride,” said First Selectman Jeff Manville. “The devastation in town was incredible, but our real hurt was that our library was out. This was a group effort from the employees of the municipality of Southbury.”
The flood left the library’s telecommunications, heating and cooling, fire suppression systems, and elevator in ruins. Hundreds of donated books, DVDs, puzzles, furniture, and shelving stored in the basement were lost. The entire lower level was deemed hazardous and gutted.
“As an employee, it was devastating. As a citizen, it was devastating,” Brenner recalled.
In the months that followed, the library relocated to the Heritage Hotel, offering scaled-back services. Patrons sometimes waited an extra day for requested books, and library board meetings were held to the soundtrack of hotel lobby music. Many residents temporarily turned to neighboring libraries in Woodbury and elsewhere.
At first, officials floated a reopening date of November 2025. The project’s $1.4 million cost left a gap even after federal disaster aid, but in August, the State Bond Commission approved a $350,000 grant-in-aid to close the shortfall.
“Here we are, ahead of schedule by two months, just a little over a year since this library was closed,” Manville said, crediting Public Works, Town Hall staff, and the library’s employees. “We’re one team in the town of Southbury.”
Joining him at the reopening were State Senator Eric Berthel, State Representative Jason Buchsbaum, State Representative Arnold Jensen, and Selectmen Anne Armeno, Jason Van Stone and Holly Sullivan.
Head Librarian Heather Aronson, flanked by her staff, offered words of appreciation before snipping the ribbon: “Each and every person has helped us. Thank you, and welcome back.”
As of Tuesday, all regular library services are available, including Wi-Fi, computer access, printing, copying and more. Tuesday’s opening also coincides with the start of fall weekend hours.
For Brenner, who is preparing to move to New York later this year to be closer to family, the day carried particular weight.
She described the library as “an investment in the future; it honors the past, and it serves the people every day.”
Her first encounter with the building came years ago, when she and her husband were house-hunting in Southbury. Driving past the sign out front, she told herself she would work there someday.
“It’s an incredible jewel in Southbury,” she said.
On Tuesday, in what may have been one of her last visits, she left not with books but with empty cardboard boxes, a symbolic close to her chapter in Southbury.
The Southbury Public Library is located at 100 Poverty Road.
Current fall hours are:
- Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:30am-5:30pm
- Tuesday/Thursday 9:30am-9pm
- Saturday 9:30am-4pm
- Sunday 12pm-5pm
The Southbury Record 