…Enough to make you stop Reading?

So, Bed Bugs have been making the news yet again within the last couple of weeks because of their presence in the libraries. But, is it enough for us to stop going to the libraries all together?

If we allow the possibility of taking bed bugs home with us to stop us from doing some of our favourite things then most of us wouldn’t be going to see the new Quentin Tarantino movie in theatres this weekend; or check out that awesome new crime thriller by our favourite authors in the library, or even decide to drudge through the snow instead of taking the TTC.  

But not to worry, Toronto Public Libraries have measures in place to reduce the risks of you taking bedbugs home.  However, if you want to be proactive, here are a few tips for you to take into consideration: 

• Inspect the book/s before taking them home. Check for black spots (fecal matter). Try banging them against the table so that those suckers can fall out. Library staff would have already done a visual inspection once it was returned by the previous borrower, but doing a double check never hurts anyone, right? 
• Keep books in a Ziploc bag when it’s not in use.  Bed bugs aren’t so small that you can’t see them, so IF there are any, they will be visible.
• Avoid sitting on soft chairs in the library if you suspect that your community library is infested.  Bed bugs don’t have anywhere to hide on the hard chairs.
• Throw your clothing in the dryer on high heat setting for 45 minutes if you have been sitting in the library for a while, you know, just to take away that nagging, suspicious feeling in the back of your mind.

Just remember that as long as we take proper precautions we don’t ever have to limit ourselves when it comes to the things we love to do.