University of Alberta library to reopen Sunday after bedbugs found

The first floor of the University of Alberta's Rutherford Library North building has been closed since Wednesday whilepest control crews treatit for bedbugs.

A student came across a bedbug in the library, took a picture of itand reported it to U of A staff on Monday. Staff brought in pest control and fully closed the first floor on Wednesday, according to the university.

Andrea Frick, a fourth-year linguistics student, was studying in the hallway outside the closed libraryFriday.

"It's a little appalling," Frick said."It's kind of gross, actually. You don't expect bedbugs to come into your school library."

On the other side of the buildingin the south wing,third-year student Jasmine Venkatramanwas studying for her business class.

"I got heebie-jeebies a little bit. It's really gross that they're even there to begin with," Venkatraman said.

• Edmonton cinema reopens two theatres after investigating bedbug allegation in viral video

On Friday morning, staff wearing plastic suits could be seen through the windows gathering objects and furniture to be treated.

The Rutherford Librarywill be closed Saturday while crews haul furniture out of the building for heat treatment.

The building is expected to reopen on Sunday.

"We've asked them to bring their canine patrol back in and and they're going to check the whole building so that when we open Sunday morning we feel confident," said Sharon Murphy, an associatelibrarian at the U of A.

It's not the first time bedbugs were found in the Rutherford North building. Last winter, bedbugs were found on the fifth floor.

"We are a busy place. We are a community of about 50,000 here on campus," Murphy said. "People come in from other public spaces, off buses and from malls. As with any public space, it's something we need to be vigilant about."

As for Frick, she said she'shappy that the university is double-checking to make sure that the bedbugs are fully exterminated from the library and said students have been warned to watch for signs of bedbugs.

"It's good to know that the word has been spreading and that we're aware of that," Frick said.

Bedbugs haven't been found recently in any other buildings on campus, staff said.

• From 2011:Bedbugs found at 3 city library branches

Travis.mcewan@cbc.ca

@Travismcewancbc