Rochester, N.Y.— So, is the Rundel Library on South Avenue in Rochester haunted?
Some employees like Diane Premnath sure think so. Premnath has been working at the library for the past five years and has heard many strange noises and seen dark shadows moving on the upper stacks of the library. She says she’s gotten used to it.
“I guess the ghosts are friendly,” she says. “I don’t bother them and they don’t bother me. I guess we all have stuff to do.”
The paranormal experts on the SyFy Channel’s “Ghost Hunters” also believe the library is haunted. On Wednesday night’s episode, “Due Date with Death,” the members of the The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) found that the library is probably haunted, although they were not able to figure out by which spirit or spirits.
Sally Snow, the assistant executive director of the Monroe Count Library System, says she’s still not entirely convinced the library is home to ghosts. However, she says the library staff generally likes that their workplace was featured on their show.
“We’ve been told by the producers of ‘Ghost Hunters’ that every place that they’ve investigated, the door count had a bump,” Snow explains. “So there will be a lot of people coming in and talking to staff, wanting to know stories. We welcome them in because the more people we get in here the better. Maybe they come in here looking for ghosts and they’ll leave with a book.”
Snow also explains that in February, the Monroe County Paranormal Investigation team will be visiting the library to conduct their own tests.
On “Ghost Hunters,” the team concluded that open windows could have caused doors on the third floor to open and close on their own. Security guards have reported hearing the sound of shutting doors from the third floor early in the morning. On at least four different occasions, surveillance cameras have captured the doors opening on their own.
However, Snow says there is no way open windows or drafts could explain this mysterious occurrence.
“[The windows] were the first thing we checked,” says Snow. “We’re librarians. We do our research and the maintenance department has reiterated that we are not going to leave the windows open so that they break.”
She went on to explain that the windows are lead soldered. It would require a hazmat procedure and lots of money to replace so the Snow says they never leave the windows open. Employees check each night to make sure they are shut.
Snow says they are still looking for more answers as to what may be causing this door to open and shut.
Meanwhile Snow hopes more visitors make their way to the library to learn more about the building’s history, the possible ghosts and to even check out a book.
“It’s a beautiful old building and we really love it,” she says. “It has a lot of character and for it have a ghost is just a cherry on top.”
