Sick after each library visit?

[Anonymous]

Is this a popular destination for the ill? Are the books just germy?

I swear, every single time I take my kid to the library, we both get sick! When she was younger, it happened like clockwork, and so we stopped going. And she stopped getting sick. She’s older now and reading to herself, and so we went. Four days later, we are sick!

Placebo or should I be Cloroxing the covers of the books?

[Anonymous]

It's a place where the homeless live and express their waste

[Anonymous]

Germs don’t live on a book long enough for you to get them from the person who checked out the book before you. So that’s a bit far fetched.

It’s a public place like any public place. Wash your hands after you go, keep your hands off your face and out of your mouth while you are there (or anywhere really), and don’t touch the door handles if you can avoid it.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never had this happen where I could pinpoint it to the library, but we go 3-4 times per week so maybe my kids are just immune to it.

[Anonymous]

Do you homeschool and otherwise not leave the house besides the library? Germs are where people are, OP.

[Anonymous]

People bring their sick kids everywhere, including the library. Don't you read the threads on here where people say "Larlo was sick so he stayed home from preschool, but we just had to get out of the house so we went to the library for a little bit." It's like people think their own kids magically don't spread their germs to others. It's just those other kids who do that.

[Anonymous]

OP, when I was in grad school, I visited the Newberry Library several times to spend full research days in the library. Each time after I left, I became ill with upper respiratory issues. No problem with the Library of Congress, though, where I've spent much more research time.

I'm usually very healthy, and I haven't done anything different before, during, or after visits to the two libraries. Could be coincidence that I happened to become ill after Newberry Library visits, or might be a library-specific issue that affected me.

Just a suggestion: why don't you try visiting a different library to see if that works out better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you homeschool and otherwise not leave the house besides the library? Germs are where people are, OP.

Homeschoolers are not shut ins.

[Anonymous]

Try to go at a less busy time. I put books I want to read on hold and pick them up at opening time.

[Anonymous]

Did you go nowhere in the four days between the library and the illness starting? Seems like confirmation bias to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People bring their sick kids everywhere, including the library. Don't you read the threads on here where people say "Larlo was sick so he stayed home from preschool, but we just had to get out of the house so we went to the library for a little bit." It's like people think their own kids magically don't spread their germs to others. It's just those other kids who do that.

I have never seen that posted and I’ve been here for years. People do go out with colds, but also send their kids to school with colds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you go nowhere in the four days between the library and the illness starting? Seems like confirmation bias to me.

Agreed on sounding like confirmation bias.

[Anonymous]

Dust and dust mites? I used to be allergic when I was a kid and always felt like old books in my old public library made me cough. Maybe it has to do with how that library is maintained? I second trying a different library.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People bring their sick kids everywhere, including the library. Don't you read the threads on here where people say "Larlo was sick so he stayed home from preschool, but we just had to get out of the house so we went to the library for a little bit." It's like people think their own kids magically don't spread their germs to others. It's just those other kids who do that.

I'm a librarian and have people tell me this type of thing all the time...Larlo is too sick to go to school so I brought him here to check out some books. People in the DC area are worse about this than other places I have lived and worked. On the other hand, I would doubt this is why OP seems to be getting sick each time she goes to the library.

I would try a different library or a different branch library. Is it the same exact library building you are going to, or just any library? Do you go during busy times? It could be the building, it could be the people frequenting the building, it could be that you have just moved to a new area and are getting used to the local germs. Every time I move to a new place, I have an adjustment period.

Many counties / cities / states postpone maintenance now due to cost and building problems can get out of hand, or there may just be a specific issue with that particular library you are visiting. Or they may not have a great (or any) cleaning team.

It's hard to say OP. I would try a different library branch and see if that helps. Or order the books to be placed on reserve for you and you alone go pick up the books, take them back home, and see what happens. It will take some experimentation to see what is causing your illnesses.

I can never again work at one former library because there is a certain type of mold in the building I've become allergic to, and I always get sick even just going into visit at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a place where the homeless live and express their waste

There is a troll busy on this site today.