Skunk closes Pennsylvania libraray

February 24, 6:01 PMSeattle Books ExaminerDanielle Dreger-Babbitt

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Here's another odd but true library story for your collection:  a skunk caused a library in Allentown, Pennsylvania to close.  According toThe Sentinel , a skunk has been responsible for the library closing it's door for over a week much to the disappointment and frustration of the local community. 

It is not known whether the skunk actually entered the building or not, but the smell is apparently coming from inside and outside of the Allensville branch of the Mifflin County Library.  As of last Friday, the skunk had yet to be caught by the professional trapper hired by the town.

The Menno Township Supervisors actually own the library building.  The Menno Township Supervisor Harold Johnson Jr. remains convinced the skunk was never in the building.  He thinks the skunk was in the outside near a ventilation unit.  This would explain why the smell is both inside and outside of the library.

If you ask me, it must be a seriously foul smelling skunk to close the library down for a week.  I've had a few run ins with skunks around my apartment, and while the smell was bad I can't fathom barricading myself in my house just to avoid the smell.  As a library patron, I think it would take more than skunk smell to keep me from visiting the library.  I'm surprised the article didn't solicit any reactions from library patrons.  If this was my community I'd be hell bent on getting the library to reopen.  I think passing out face masks to library patrons would be a better option (both financially and physically) than keeping the library closed.