A plumbing emergency ruined thousands of books, closing a North Philly hub’s library

A plumbing emergency has wiped out a North Philadelphia literacy hub’s entire library, damaging Tree House Books’ space and prompting an emergency relief campaign.

“This is a significant setback for our community, but we’re committed to rebuilding and reopening as quickly as possible,” Michael Brix, executive director of Tree House Books, said in a statement. “The Giving Library serves as a crucial resource for North Philadelphia residents, distributing thousands of free books annually to promote literacy and learning in our neighborhood.”

The trouble was discovered on Christmas Day, when an eagle-eyed neighbor spotted water coming out of the door of Tree House’s West Susquehanna Avenue storefront.

Brix rushed over to discover a burst pipe, and water spewing from the second floor down to Tree House’s main level, where the library is housed, and into the basement, where extra books are stored.

The giving library is a near-total loss — thousands of books had to be thrown away. Workers had to tear down a drop ceiling, pull out insulation, and more.

“It’s a lot of stuff you don’t think about,” said Brix.

Tree House had been renting the Susquehanna Avenue space from one of its founders for years, but recently took ownership of the building. It’s unclear how much insurance might cover, but Brix said it’s clear the 20-year-old nonprofit will need significant funds to replace its losses, estimating that Tree House will need to raise between $35,000 and $40,000.

Tree House had also mapped out an expansion of its services; it’s not yet clear what the emergency will mean for those plans, Brix said.

Founded in 2005, TreeHouse distributes free books and offers after-school and summer literacy programs.

Not all Tree House operations were halted; its bookmobile is still running. The after-school program, housed in a part of the building that was not directly affected by the flooding, did not run this week, but will re-open on Monday.

Financial donations can be made through Tree House’s website, and book donations can be coordinated through Emma Goldstein, the library manager, at emma@treehousebooks.org.