Library Where Staff Fell Ill Is Cleaned, to Reopen

Still unclear about what caused employees at the Laguna Beach library building to suffer mysterious symptoms in March, county library officials say they will conclude their testing within a week and plan to announce a reopening date for the library soon thereafter.

“At this time, we’re still awaiting the latest round of test results,” County Librarian John M. Adams said Tuesday. “But as of now, we don’t have any suspects.”

The city’s lone library, a branch of the Orange County Public Library, has been closed since last month when employees suffered unexplained symptoms, including nausea, disorientation and impaired motor skills.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of the Library Bookstore, which are housed in the same building, were later also closed after workers in those offices reported having similar symptoms or smelling nauseating fumes.

Exhaustive tests have been performed at the site and samples from the air, carpeting and the plumbing and air-conditioning systems have been analyzed for various chemical and biological contaminants, according to a statement released Tuesday by the county library.

In addition, the 26-year-old building, located at 363 Glenneyre St., has been undergoing a rigorous cleaning, including an antiseptic treatment of all internal surfaces and a pressure cleaning of the building’s exterior, the statement said. The cleaning will be complete this week.

Tests are being conducted by doctors at UCI Medical Center and by Health Science Associates, a private research company in Los Alamitos. Earlier this month, an industrial hygienist at Health Science Associates said the pollutant was not airborne.

Only two workers needed to see doctors as a result of their symptoms, Adams said. One, who still suffers infrequent nausea and some lightheadedness, has not yet returned to work, he said. Other library employees were temporarily assigned to other library branches.

When the building reopens, “we will be certain that there is no reason for concern on the part of any library user,” the statement said.

In addition, there will be no fines charged for books that were due to be returned to the branch during the time it was closed, Adams said.