HADLEY — Repairs to the asphalt shingle roof at the Hadley Public Library, a building that was constructed in the midst of the pandemic and opened on Middle Street four years ago, could cost up to $1 million, according to a report provided to the library trustees and presented to the Select Board last week.

“It’s not going to be a quick fix or an easy fix,” John Kurpeski, a project manager with Gale Associates of Boston, told members of both elected boards at the Select Board meeting on Aug. 21.

Gale Associates, hired to conduct a visual evaluation of the roof, submitted an 18-page report, after leaks occurred last winter and spring in Library Director Patrick Borezo’s office and the building’s local history room.

“We have had two or three probable issues where water penetrated the roof and left a small water stain, the largest being the size of a dinner plate, the smaller ones being the size of a tennis ball,” Borezo said.

Borezo said he first got opinions from both Building Maintenance Foreman Gary Berg and Building Commissioner Tom Quinlan about possible deficiencies in the roof construction, as well as having local roofers look for and plug probable sources of leaks, which have not happened again this summer.

“We feel pretty good for the time being that the roof is secure and nothing major is happening,” Borezo said.

Working with the town, though, Gale was brought in to provide an engineering perspective about whether anything is wrong with the roof assembly, understanding that the asphalt shingles, rather than a metal roof, were a cost savings measure.

Kurpeski explained some of the problems identified, including that there is no ventilation provided in the steeply sloped roof, with no intake ventilation at the bottom down slope or any exhaust ventilation at the top ridge of the roof. Such an unventilated roof, he said, isn’t typical in the Northeast climate, as asphalt shingle manufacturers usually require ventilation as part of their warranty, so cooling can occur and latent humidity in the “building system” is removed.

Observations are that asphalt shingles are buckling, and flattening out, meaning they will have a reduced surface life, and could allow additional moisture into the system.

Kurpeski noted that even if moisture is getting through the roof, this may not show up as actual leaks in the building, but could be affecting insulation, which might deteriorate and lose its thermal value.

“There could be adverse effects if you do nothing,” Kurpeski said.

To go beyond visual observations, Gale would have to do test cuts to see what’s happening underneath the shingles and how they are attached. At minimum, Kurpeski said he expects repairs to necessitate stripping off the asphalt shingles.

The report outlines how fixes could be made: “Possible resolutions include removing and replacing the asphalt shingle roof system with a different roof covering that does not require ventilation below, e.g., certain sheet metal roofing types, natural slate, synthetic shingle materials, single-ply membrane, etc., or removing the existing roof assembly down to the steel deck and installing a properly installed vented roof assembly.”

Select Board members appeared inclined to move to the next step, having the test cuts done, and then identify whether there is anyone to blame for the possible problems. Gale noted in its report that “it is our understanding that there was minimal oversight during the construction of the roof assembly, particularly since building construction took place during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“My own opinion is doing nothing is not acceptable,” said Select Board Chairwoman Molly Keegan. “It sounds like we need more information.”

Select Board member Jane Nevinsmith said she feels there is an urgency to get to repairs done, as any damage caused by a deteriorating roof would be unlikely to be covered by insurance.

“It seems to be the bottom line is we need to fix the roof at some level, and we need to find who is responsible for the error, and they should be paying for it, rather than the town,” Nevinsmith said.

“We have a documented faulty roof,” said Select Board member David J. Fill II. “If we do nothing at this point, and if we have water infiltration and mold and anything else, the insurance company will absolutely deny that claim in the future.”

While Fill agreed that fixing the problem may run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, a discussion will also have to happen about whether a so-called “errors and omissions” claim could be lodged against the architect, engineer or any others involved in building the library.

“However this is going to shake out, this was a pretty expensive mistake that was made,” Fill said.