Journal & Topics Media Group

Des Plaines Library Board Failed To Let Public In On Bed Bug Matter


When a potentially embarrassing situation developed last fall at the downtown Des Plaines Public Library, rather than fessing up to the problem, the library board and staff decided to batten down the hatches.

That response to the sighting of a relatively small number of bed bugs on two floors of the library was a clear snubbing of what a taxpayer-supported unit of government should have done: trust the people. The decision not to inform the public of the bed bugs is especially irritating because it involves a public library where knowledge, freedom and openness should be common practice. One of the key responsibilities of a library is to relay news about it to the public. In this case the board and staff were stone cold silent.

When a written explanation of the bed bug matter finally appeared on the library’s website just a little over a week ago, Director Jo Bonell said the first sighting of one of the insects was in September. Other sightings followed in subsequent months prompting the affected areas to be cordoned off and in late November the decision made to hire a pest control company for $20,500.

The spotting of bed bugs in a public building like a library is not that uncommon. Hundreds of thousands of visitors to the library come and go every year. Some people unknowingly bring the bugs into the facility with them. The insects can then be transferred onto a chair or even a book. Despite what some people might think, an individual’s poor hygiene is not a reason why the bugs attach themselves to humans. Bed bugs have been around thousands of years from all over the globe, and like any insect, the likelihood that they’ll still be around for thousands of  years in the future is not in doubt.

So while the appearance of bed bugs in a library is something that can occasionally surface, the agency’s way of communicating the matter to the owners of the property — the people of Des Plaines — was non-existent. Eventually, library board members acted appropriately by hiring a pest control company to rid the facility of the bugs. However, in deciding not to tell the public about the problem, darkness prevailed. Parents with their young children and senior citizens were unaware. It wasn’t until after Des Plaines residents first learned about the bugs more than two weeks ago that the library director posted her letter of explanation online.

The lack of transparency was also fueled by the board’s failure to state the nature of what they were voting on in November after exiting a closed-door session where it was decided to hire an exterminator. There was no explanation other than the board was authorizing the spending of approximately $20,000 “to correct the problem.”

In their effort to “correct the problem,” the library board created a new problem. In doing so, they  have foolishly created a credibility gap between themselves and the people they have sworn to serve.

 

Support local news by subscribing to the Journal & Topics in print or online.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.