A Michigan library is reopening after an infestation scare sparked by a insect-filled DVD return.
Last week, staff at the Royal Oak Public Library announced that the library had received a DVD containing unwanted critters in its book drop, and that the library would be closing “for health and safety reasons” until they got to the bottom of the situation.
“Bugs entered the library in items in our book drop. Until we can identify and remediate the problem, we will remain closed,” library officials wrote on Facebook, urging Royal Oak community members to keep their items at home in the meantime.
In the same post, officials said that when the DVD case — which was “returned sometime after we closed on Friday” — was opened, what “appeared to be multiple species of bugs” emerged from within.
Library staff were unable to identify all the insects, but did capture one of the bugs with tape, Library Director Sandy Irwin tells PEOPLE on Monday, Sept. 23.
The infested DVD case, meanwhile, was quickly bagged up and moved to an outdoor garage, along with the other items in the book drop, according to Irwin.
A stock image of a library book drop.
Getty
Over the weekend, Irwin was determined to do anything she could to help until pest professionals were able to arrive on Monday.
“I’m a librarian, not a pest control professional, but I will look up 1,000 types of bugs,” she told Detroit Free Press.
Fortunately, the library got the all clear to open back up on Monday, Sept. 23.
“Our pest control company came out this morning and inspected the items that were returned, our book drops, and the library and gave us the all-clear,” Irwin tells us. “They did not find any live bugs, but identified the one we captured as a cockroach.”
“We are clear and will open at 1pm today,” library officials wrote in an update, assuring patrons that they have nothing to worry about: “We receive monthly pest inspections of the building, so you should not have any worries about coming to the library.”
