The North Branch of the Berkeley Public Library was shuttered Friday morning after officials discovered bedbugs in three different areas of the branch.
Bedbug-sniffing dogs identified the possible presence of bedbugs in the downstairs men’s restroom, underneath the desks of the public computer area, and in a chair in the reading room. No books or library materials appear to be infected, according to a press release from the library administration.
An effort to eradicate the insect, which can bite people and cause itchiness but poses no public health issue, started Friday and will continue through Monday. No chemicals are being used, according to a press release. Technicians are using heat and steam to eradicate the problem.
The North Branch will be closed until Tuesday at 10 a.m. The branch is located at 1170 The Alameda.
In order to ensure this is an isolated problem, bed-bug sniffing dogs will inspect all the branches over the next week, according to the press release.
The Art of Howl program that was scheduled for today has been postponed.
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