NATCHEZ — They say you shouldn’t read in the dark, but reading in the heat can be bad, too.

So when the power and air conditioning went out at the Judge George W. Armstrong Library Tuesday, the library shut down.

Marianne Raley, circulation manager, said a crew came in to fix one of the library’s air conditioning compressors on Tuesday. The library was scheduled to close at noon for the maintenance.

She said the crew used a crane to replace it, which she said then hit a power line.

“It was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Raley said.

Immediately afterward, the power went out. Raley and other staff members went around turning off computers, breakers and lights.

The library had to close one hour early because of the outage. When staff returned Wednesday, the power was back, but the air conditioning was not.

Raley spoke with the library’s board and director, and the decision was made for the library to remain closed.

“We have told our patrons we’re kind of on a stand-by,” Raley said. “We’ve tried to keep them informed via Facebook and Pushlocal.”

Raley said the library should be open today, but patrons should try to call ahead to make sure. Armstrong Library can be reached at 601-445-8862.