After an inspection revealed the presence of bed bugs, City officials made the decision to close the Buena Vista Library on Saturday, September 3, 2022. The meeting room and restrooms only – which were declared free of bed bugs by specially trained dogs – remain open as a cooling center.
Bed bugs were found in the adult reading and public computer area. The branch will be treated in the early morning on Sunday, September 4, and normal service should resume for the regular hours of 1-5 pm.
Bed bugs unfortunately are part of life in libraries and any other common spaces. They are also commonly found in hotels, on public transit, in doctor’s offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and movie theaters. Bed bugs are not a problem related to people experiencing homelessness; they are a traveling population problem. It is just as likely (if not more so) for a traveler to bring bed bugs home with them from a trip than it is for an unsheltered individual to be the source of the introduction.
Bed bugs do not carry or transmit diseases. Extensive research has been done on this, and there is no evidence that bed bugs transmit diseases from one host to the next. Bed bugs are a nuisance but are not dangerous. While some people react more strongly to insect bites than others, a bed bug bite will cause no more than minor itching for a few days.
Please contact the Library if you have additional questions.