The Oak Park Public Library has shuttered its doors temporarily following some troubling feedback. Based on reports, it seems this literary haven was found to be hosting more than just avid readers; bedbugs took center stage instead. The Detroit Free Press relayed from an Oak Park spokeswoman that the issue came under the spotlight Tuesday after a patron and staff member noticed unwelcome visitors on two chairs in the computer lab.
In a bid to troubleshoot, library authorities immediately closed up shop and bid adieu to the infested furnishing. A professional pest control outfit was beckoned to scope out the scene. According to the Oak Park Public Library's Facebook, in a meeting that was confirmed by a pest control company, there were indeed bedbugs making themselves at home on the chairs' upholstery. However, following an inspection that used a trained canine to sniff out these critters, no additional bedbugs or other pests turned up in the library.
Erring on the side of caution, the library opted to deep clean the facility before its Thursday reopening, despite pest control not deeming it necessary. "Although not required, out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to preventively treat and professionally clean the facility prior to reopening," the library stated, as per Fox 2 Detroit. This proactive attitude seems to resound within the local library community.
The conversation on library cleanliness is not just a whisper among the stacks. Jordan Wright, the Library Director at Ferndale Area District Library, disclosed to the Detroit Free Press that they conduct quarterly inspections to keep these issues at bay. Other library heads in the area, like Matt Church from Berkley Public Library and Deb Hemmye of Huntington Woods Library, indicate that they keep an eagle eye out for any potential problems, though stopping short of formal inspections with pest control firms.
As for the patrons of the Oak Park Public Library, they were assured via a Facebook announcement that the library would resume regular operations today, ensuring the public that the library space would be safe, comfortable, and accessible post-cleanup. In a city that values its reading sanctuaries, it would seem the Oak Park Public Library is turning the page on this unexpected chapter with due diligence and public health at the forefront of its narrative.
