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Damage wrought to the Vancouver Public Library after fire sprinklers went off Friday is more extensive than originally thought.

The sprinkles were triggered at the library’s downtown Central branch around 5:30 a.m., flooding the atrium where a film crew for the television series Supergirl had wrapped up filming earlier in the morning.

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“It’s very disappointing,” said chief librarian Sandra Singh. “It’s not insignificant damage. There’ll be a lot of work in the coming months.”

The flooding affected the atrium, the three meeting rooms, public washrooms and exhibit space on the lower level. An estimated 1,000 books, CDs, and DVDs in the circulation work room located on the lower level were also damaged.

The water damaged parts of the library’s self-service check-in system, which includes automated sorting equipment, and a section of the children’s library, which remains closed as the area needs to be dried out.

Several events slated for the meeting rooms, which sustained damage to the drywall and flooring, are being relocated elsewhere.

The flooding did not affect public access to the library. The branch kept its regular hours on Friday and on the weekend. It has about 1.2 million items in its collection, including books, magazines, DVDs and CDs.

The cost of repairs is not yet known, but will be covered by insurance, said the library. An investigation into what caused the sprinklers to activate is ongoing.

chchan@postmedia.com

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