The mysterious appearance of maggots and egg larvae at the Oak Bay branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) spurred a sudden closure on Tuesday (July 2).
On June 28, maggots and egg larvae were discovered in the room housing the 24-hour book return at the Oak Bay library.
“The room was immediately cordoned off, and pest control and professional cleaning services were immediately engaged to sanitize the affected area. Upon opening the library Tuesday, it was identified that the problem has not been resolved,” Kelly Ridgeway said in a statement to the Oak Bay News.
The library closed early and the GVPL is working with the building owner, the District of Oak Bay, to determine the cause and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
“There is no risk to staff or library users. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and assure our patrons that their health and safety, along with the health and safety of our staff, are our top priority,” Ridgeway said.
A 24-hour temporary book return has been placed in front of the Monterey centre, and the GVPL has extended hold pickup dates for all items at the Oak Bay branch.
Local library users grew accustomed to using an adjacent temporary book drop after the Oak Bay site closed abruptly for asbestos remediation in January 2023.
During routine testing ahead of planned minor renovations to the library branch, one of two tests came back positive spurring an immediate closure. The library was closed for a few months and the temporary drop box highlighted once again how popular the Oak Bay library is – requiring emptying four times a day.
The library will post updates on the latest closure online at gvpl.ca and social media channels.