Hello, all!  

Bedbugs suck, and this has been a bad year for them.  I shared our procedures and equipment lists back in 2020, but they haven't changed much and still work really well for us. There's no true prevention, because bedbugs are hardy and well-adapted to their biological niche, but there's also an amazing sense of relief and empowerment that comes from knowing you've been inspected and knowing how to address it for the safety of your staff and patrons.  Bedbugs are a public health concern and must be addressed as such.  They are also potentially a PR nightmare for a library.  I don't know about your community, but gossip and old stories rule in our small town and get shared for years, and no institution needs that.

We found them through Orkin, and have 6 canine inspections per year, with chemical treatments by Orkin, if necessary.  However, we haven't needed to have chemical treatment since we got rid of the last of our fabric upholstered furniture.  

Any materials that are on a shelf with an inspection hit, as well as the shelves above (because bedbug scent falls), are removed and baked in our heat treatment unit (we use ZappBug).  The metal shelves are wiped down in 90-91% rubbing alcohol and allowed to dry.  When the heat cycle is done and the items have cooled, each is inspected for signs of bugs or blood stains, and, if clear, marked discreetly on the inside cover with the treatment date, and returned to circulation.  We note which areas were hits, and any items returned by patrons in the following 6 weeks that would be shelved in that area are checked for that discreet mark and date.  If missing, those items are sent directly to "the bakery" ('cause no one wants to start itching when we say 'bedbug') for treatment, inspection, and then reshelving.  We also check every item when going out and every item coming back, including from MelCat. Anything suspicious is sent to the bakery.  It also works for fleas and lice, if those are concerns.

My bedbug procedures, and quarantine and treatment equipment lists are available to anyone who might want them (attached).  We funded our equipment purchase through a grant from our library co-op.  The whole topic makes me and my staff itch, and it's always a weird moment in training for new people, when they learn that bedbugs and bookworms are real.  That said, we're more comfortable with confirmed hits that can be immediately addressed and resolved, than a general uneasiness of not knowing what we might be taking home.  If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer and you can reach me by phone or email.  We've been inspected 6 times/yr for the last 5 years, and while we have something hit almost every time, the scale of the hits have steadily decreased and are usually easily addressed in a single day.