Germantown’s Coleman Library looks forward to leaky roof repairs

Ricky the Dragon’s 18-foot “raincoat” is coming off soon.

After two weeks, the roof leaks that forced the Northwest Regional Library’s prized wooden dragon to be covered head-to-tail in plastic will be patched this week, possibly as soon as today. 

Staffers at the Germantown-based branch couldn’t be happier.

“It’s a local tradition and something people expect to see,” said Antoinette Hoagland, Northwest Area Administrator for the Free Library of Philadelphia. “The staff has told the children that Ricky is wearing a raincoat.”

The section of roof above Ricky’s post in the lobby — and a sunken reading area below known as “the pit” — started dripping around March 5 following the biggest snowstorm of the season.

“There was quite a bit of water,” said Hoagland.

The soggy amphitheater-style space was cordoned off with yellow caution tape shortly afterwards. A collection of plastic buckets were put down too.

Other than that, the impact on day-to-day operations has been minimal — more cosmetic than anything else.

Still, Hoagland is pleased with how fast the problem is being addressed. The roof has leaked before, but never this badly.

“Usually it’s just a bucket or two here and there,” she said.