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Outbreak at the library: a surprising situation where ebooks fight bedbugs
July 14, 2010 | 11:34 am
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By Joanna
I had just reserved a bunch of cookbooks at the public library when a news item crossed my in-box about a bedbug infestation at several local library branches. The nasty and hard to get rid of critters have been allegedly spotted in two branches.
I have to admit that hearing this news has made me a tiny bit reluctant to bring library books into my home just now. I do prefer to read a cookbook in paper form—but not if that paper is carrying a possible infestation! Ever since they outlawed DDT here, bedbugs have become a growing issue, and once you have them, they are a pain to get rid of.
They are not specific to beds, of course. They live in couches too, which may be where the library is housing them. I’m not sure if they can transfer through just the book, but I know they can jump on jackets, pant legs, shoes and bags. Do I want to risk it?
Ebooks for the win! I am disappointed that I’ll have to pass on the cookbooks for now—thry are not as pleasing in ebook form, and they are not part of our library’s Overdrive collection. But I have other things to read right now, and one place I know bedbugs don’t live is in pixels!
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Comments:
Interesting! I’ve actually wondered about stuff you can bring home with used books after watching some of the tv shows on hoarders and all the various creatures in their homes. One one show a person infected his whole apartment building with bedbugs as a result of bringing home stuff from thrift stores.
I have about 30 cookbooks on my Kindle and I really like being able to search them all at once for recipes using a specific ingredient. I mainly read them on my PC (using Kindle for PC) and I go through each cookbook and highlight all the recipes I want to try. Plus that way I can see the photos in color. I actually use the cookbooks on my PC more than my print cookbooks.
From The Independent, UK, w/not a pleasant story on this. NY, Denver, etc.
http://bit.ly/bedbugs071410
Thank you so much for posting this. I never thought about what could be living in the books I bring home. The thought is really unsettling. I was planning on spending a lot of time in the library when I get home, but now I think I should figure out if my library is safe.
I always prefer having the book in my hand, but things like this make me appreciate eBooks. Not only are they bug proof, but they make checking out books a lot more convenient. Sometimes it’s nice to have an eBook version of the book, especially when someone has already checked it out.