Malden Library a complete loss in Babb Road fire

MALDEN—As part of the devastation of Monday’s fire in Malden, the busy community library and computing center was a complete loss. A branch of Whitman County District, the library was attached to city hall.

The branch had recently reopened, after a long shutdown due to COVID-19. Prior to that closure, Malden Library was one of the most utilized locations in the system. While it was only open eight hours per week, the library was particularly popular with the town’s children.

“For a lot of the kids, the library was all they had. I always knew when it was library day because the kids were extra...