After closing on July 23 for HVAC and cooling repairs, the Chestnut Hill Library at 8711 Germantown Ave. reopened last Friday afternoon, three days ahead of schedule.

With the HVAC system down, conditions inside the library forced it to close because of “excessively high building temperatures,” according to a spokesperson for the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The spokesperson said the air-conditioning system is now working.

Amy Wilson, executive director of Friends of Chestnut Hill Library, told the Local, “One of the rooftop units was leaking coolant and not working well enough to cool the building to the safety and comfort standards on which the library system operates. … This repair work was coordinated entirely by the staff of the library.”

The library returned to normal operating hours on Saturday.

Coinciding with the HVAC repairs, the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library helped coordinate and fund ongoing repairs to the building’s exterior.

“They will be cleaning, caulking, repairing, priming, and painting damage to the soffit and fascia and to the 10 large windows on the Carnegie branch,” Wilson said. “After [the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library] completed a comprehensive building assessment for the branch, we determined that this was a priority project because it will reduce the likelihood that rodents and water get in the building and cause further damage.”

The repairs will not disrupt the library’s operating hours or programming. Raising over $40,000 through book sales at Hilltop Books and donations to the Friends of the Chestnut Hill Library, the work, by Nolan Painting, began Aug. 4 and is expected to take two weeks to complete.

“These gaps in the building’s envelope have caused extended closures in the past, and it’s something we’re keen to prevent,” Wilson said.

​Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.