Mysterious Smell Plagues Woodbury Library

It's not anything you can see walking into the Woodbury Public Library, but it’s more about what the people working there can smell.

An odor has been lingering in the library for about six weeks now and has taken its toll on those who spend the most time in the building.

“It's sort of a decaying animal or decomposition and then also kind of a sewer gas.  We haven't been able to put our finger on it,” said Maura Yerger, who works at the library. “People have had headaches, and you can tell their eyes are watering, just not feeling good.”

Library Director Pat Lunn said they were able to narrow down the area where the smell is coming from to the meeting room and art gallery in the back on the first floor.

“We looked in the basement and all the closets and the kitchen in the back of the meeting room, and nothing has popped up to us that that's the odor. Not a dead animal, or gas from the septic system, anything like that.  We're still not aware of what it is,” said Lunn.

The library called in the professionals, who are still looking into the cause. In the meantime, they've put an ionizer in the back room to clean out the smell. It's working, but the library is keeping that back area closed off for the time being.

“We have canceled some children's programs that take place in that room, not knowing exactly what the smell is, but the library is open and business as usual except for that,” said Lunn.

The next step is cleaning the carpet. If that doesn’t work, they’ll keep trying things until the cause of the odor is found.

 

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