Bed bugs discovered inside returned books at Wake County library, county says

A Wake County spokesperson on Friday said bed bugs were found in one of the county's libraries.

According to the spokesperson, Wake County Public Libraries was made aware of an incident involving bed bugs that were found in returned library materials at the Oberlin Regional Library. The county confirmed that the returned materials were books.

The spokesperson said the first bed bug treatment at Oberlin was on August 17 and the most recent treatment was October 12.

WRAL crews also saw pest control spraying inside the library around 9 p.m. on October 16.

Pest control is investigating reports at other libraries, but the spokesperson said they have no further confirmation.

"The library system has taken steps to address the issue based on best practices, including removing affected materials from circulation, conducting inspections and coordinating with facilities and pest-management professionals to treat areas as needed," the spokesperson said in a statement to WRAL News.

The spokesperson said that library services continue to operate and the county will take additional measures to protect its collections and facilities.

WRAL emailed the spokesperson asking several follow up questions:

• Was temporarily closing Oberlin because of the bed bugs ever considered? Will that option be considered if the problem persists?

• Was any notice sent to the community about the bed bugs? 

• Some library patrons were surprised there weren't any posted signs/warnings about the bed bugs. Did the library do anything to alert patrons? If not, why?

As of Friday night, WRAL has not yet received a response.