Library Books Spreading Bed Bugs?
This past weekend, Shloime Klein, a Crown Heights resident, borrowed a book from the Maple St. Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. When he opened the book, he was shocked to find it crawling with ‘stage three’ bed bugs.
Klein immediately sealed the book inside a plastic bag and placed it in his freezer, then waited until Monday morning and brought the book back to the library.
He discussed the situation with the receptionists at the desk, and though they were very courteous, they explained that the library did not in fact have any policy in regards to the books’ sanitary condition, nor is it possible for them to communicate with the book’s previous users.
The books are never sanitized in any way between users, they said, just registered and placed right back on the shelf.
One employee even expressed frustration that she and her colleagues were exposed to this type of infestation on a frequent basis, and said that this was far from the first such incident involving the infectious pests.
A 2012 article by the New York Times confirms that this is a widespread phenomenon, and one which the city’s libraries have been grappling with.
This wasn’t Klein’s first encounter with bedbugs. “A few years ago, I found bedbugs in my home and it cost me over $1,000 to fumigate and clean them out, so I know what getting infested can be like,” he told CrownHeights.info.
An e-mail was sent yesterday to the manager of the Crown Heights library branch requesting comment, but we have not heard back from them as of this article’s publication.
Yossi A
FYI
There is a yiddishe local mobil library that goes around XH every day at a different location with thousands of books for the shechuna.
Try it, you wont get any bed bugs either.
This is the least of it
Think of where your library books have been – they are carrying all kinds of disgusting germs and fecal matter at any time.
Libraries are a gift and we are fortunate to have them. But at the same time it’s important to be aware of where they might have been.
Btw – the whole bed bugs thing is actually way overblown. Homes are very rarely infested – it’s much more often just a few. And there are lots of things you can do yourself without paying astonomical sums to “professional” cleaners.
not so much
The bedbug situation might be “overblown” if you never had to deal with them, But living in an apt. building that had REAL issues with bedbugs, it is not true that homes are rarely infested.
We had the exterminator have to come down multiple times, for each apartment in our building. And I promise you, it is not fun, when the problem is real.
Thank you!
Thank you Shlomie for sharingthis information. Bed bugs can be difficult or expensive to get rid of.
cleanit
I would spray any library books, lightly with some anti bacterial spray, like tea tree oil and water. just lightly since its paper.
sanitize
with clorox wipes, when possible (lil kids plastic pages)
Curious
What book was it?
CH resident
perhaps it is a little nudge to remind us that frequenting public libraries is pas nit for unz…
we have several excellent jewish libraries in the community—without unwanted souvenirs….
Eew I
E library has it often then they should do something abt it
Only goyim
Only the goyim get bedbugs so we should only get books from the unzere, anash libraries.
yup…
Ignorance
I know of fellow Jews who have bedbugs problem. So think before you write.
you cant make this stuff up
Ignorance cant tell sarcasm
books that have it
The cat in the hat
Curious George
Bobsy Twins
Hardy Boys and
The elephant that went fishing and caught a mosquito bite
SEREL MANESS
SPRAY CEDER OIL ON THEM,BUT AS WE KNOW THERE ARE THANK G-D YIDDISH LIBRARIES FOR US,ANYWAY WE ARE IN GEULA ERA,LIFTING UP OUR SOULS IS THE WAY TO GO
Anonymous
Bedbugs can come from any library….
btw
my daughter found book lice in books from the jcm library. plenty of jewish homes have unwanted pests, and so jewish libraries are not immune
Bedbugs ugh...
I know a frum family in the community who got bed bugs and had to fumigate their entire house for thousands of dollars from a Shabbos guest who frequented their house that they were trying to be mekarev. They had to tell him not to come anymore…any other options so the bugs won’t reappear?
TO #11
Thanks for the list.
Please note that your complete list are books not appropriate for a chasidishe home…
It all balances out
Public library books can spread bedbugs and MBP can spread herpes. So there.
another frum library
Levi Yitzchok library has some innovative summer programming such as being open from 1-7 in the summer.
Also, on Shabbos afternoons from 6-8 pm they
”ll be open.
how sad
this guy is doing a service to everyone by making everyone aware that library books can contain bed bugs or other infestations and all readers can do is out him down.
cummon……
btw frum libraries are in no way immune. Quite the contrary….
Chaya beracha
If only in the Netherlands we would have so many libraries to get our frum books…..bedbugs or no bedbugs….spraying ceder oil before handling a borrowed book makes sense!