Library Set to Reopen

The Huntington Public Library remains scheduled to reopen Tuesday at 9 a..m. after its treatment this weekend after signs of bed bugs were found Friday morning.

No one from the library was available to comment on the type of treatment that was used.

Urban entomologist Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, who works for the New York State Integrated Pest Management program, said getting rid of such an infestation "is such a frustrating experience.

"I don't know about the Huntington Library situation but it's likely they found  A bedbug and then Wednesday another one could come in on someone else. People are WAY overreacting" to the bed bug issue in general, she said. "I don't know their (the library's) response but they're going have to put in protocols for reacting and then educating the public on the issue. You can't prevent people with bugs coming to the library."

A number of people who spoke to Patch expressed concern about the problem spreading to other libraries or branches.

But Kevin Verbesey, director of the  Suffolk Cooperative Library System, said his group " is also taking extra care to inspect the materials that pass from library to library in our cooperative lending program.  This includes the daily visual inspection of materials as well as the placement of traps to determine the presence of any bedbugs.  We also have regular inspections of our sorting areas and delivery vehicles.  To date not a single bed bug has been found. 

"We will continue to monitor this situation very closely at a local and regional level.  We can assure everyone who uses public libraries in Suffolk County that the health and safety of library patrons and library staff is our No. 1 priority."