Mysterious smell plaguing local library prompts closure

A mysterious odour has been plaguing a local library branch, leading to intermittent closures over the past year, the county's top librarian says. 

Now, officials are shutting down the branch in Stoney Point for the near future to finally pinpoint the source of the smell.

"It's sort of time to do some very serious exploratory testing and see if we can't deal with this for once and for all," says Adam Craig, Essex County's chief librarian.

The branch in the lakeside town only opened two years ago, but since last spring, a "funny smell" has prompted several rounds of closures and air quality testing, Craig said.

Both staff and members of the public have reported the smell and accompanying irritation, he said. But each time air quality testing is done, the results come back negative and the branch reopens.

"There is no real precedent for this […] certainly in Essex County," Craig said. "I would argue that's why it's taking us so long to get to the bottom of things."

The problems seem to arise when it's warm outside and the air conditioning is on, he said. The library has been working closely with the Municipality of Lakeshore – which owns the building – experts, and product manufacturers, but has yet to find a cause.

"What's really bizarre about the whole thing is it's never really been consistent," he said. 

The latest closure came Tuesday, when the temperature outside in the region hit the mid-20s. Essex County Library said that "that due to technical issues," the branch would be closed for the day.

But Wednesday evening, the Municipality of Lakeshore said the branch — which is housed in a mobile unit — "is now closed to the public and library staff." 

"To support further investigation and to rule out all possible contributors to the air quality issues, Lakeshore has requested the removal of all library materials and shelving from the space," a press release said. "Municipal staff are also working with the unit's manufacturer and supplier to determine potential causes and identify solutions."

The municipality said it "received complaints of eye and throat irritation from library staff and visitors" last year, and that testing "suggested that the issue was caused by the HVAC unit's air exchange system, which was fixed in January 2025."

Subsequent testing found the air quality was safe, the municipality said. "However, during days with warmer weather, air quality issues returned, which prompted the current closure."

The Essex County Library board was expected to discuss a motion to suspend service at the branch on Wednesday evening, Craig said. 

"What we're going to see tonight is a decision about the closure, which I think is pretty solid, pretty safe to say that we're not reopening tomorrow on our regular schedule," he said. "We should have an action plan to go forward with it after tonight."

Craig said he wants to reassure residents in Stoney Point – who had previously been without a library since before the pandemic – that "this isn't about stopping library service in Stoney Point."

"We're working to make sure that we're able to provide them a space that's safe for everybody," he said.

Frank Jeney, Lakeshore's corporate leader for community health and safety services, said the municipality is also working to find "short- and long-term options, such as another mobile unit, to ensure the continuation of library services in Stoney Point/Pointe-aux-Roches.

"We know how important this facility is to residents in the area, and we appreciate their patience as we seek a fix," Jeney is quoted as saying in the press release.