We’re getting our Spook on at MMSCL this October with multiple presentations about haunted buildings and paranormal investigations. Although our own MMSCL locations appear to be ghost-free, two of our employees experienced haunted book aisles and disembodied voices when they worked at other libraries.
A library seems too staid to be the site of ghostly activity. Yet, as Jill Sollazzo, Department Head of Young Adult Services at East Hampton Library has learned, some libraries are jam-packed with former patrons and librarians.
Jill will present a program on October 15th at 6:30 pm in our Moriches branch based on the video she created called “Haunted Libraries of the U.S. and Beyond.” She discovered more than 50 libraries experiencing flickering lights, wraith-like figures, and loud, table-shaking noises such as books dropping in front of seated patrons.
Some libraries have brought in paranormal investigators to determine the identities of the ethereal beings floating through their aisles and stairwells. Can contact be made? What do these spirits want? In New Jersey at the Bernardsville Library, librarians issued a library card to Phyllis, a frequent visitor from the 18th century whose ghostly silhouette often paused in front of books in the stacks. Is she stopping to peruse the latest novel? No one is sure because Phyllis hasn’t used her card at the computerized check-out — at least, not yet.
Ghost hunters use a surprising combination of digital equipment and old-fashioned devices like dousing rods to determine the
presence of spiritual entities. Cameras, laser beam instruments, thermometers, barometers, and Geiger counters ascertain the presence of spiritual energy, while audio cassette players can pick up EVP (electric voice phenomenon). How do these instruments work? Are they really accurate?
We’ll get expert instruction from the Long Island Paranormal Investigators group as they present “Scientific Equipment used in Paranormal Investigations” on October 22nd from 7:00 to 8:00 pm at our Moriches branch. LIPI members will share their audio and video evidence with participants who want to learn more and launch their own investigations. This program is perfect for anyone curious about the science behind ghost hunting and paranormal studies, offering a unique opportunity to learn about the fascinating world of paranormal investigation.
If you decide you want to test your own ghost-hunting skills and equipment, don’t forget about “Ghost Hunting Technology and Trivia” from 7 – 8:30 pm on October 16th at the Herkimer Center’s Technology Lab. Our IT Department’s Kristen Cinar will discuss the “various gadgets and gizmos that today’s ghost hunters swear by when detecting supernatural phenomena.” Kristen will offer details about some of Long Island’s most purportedly haunted locations, information guaranteed to jump-start your search for apparition-occupied buildings and cemeteries.
Join us for one, two or all three of these spooky adventures:
Starting at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, October 15 at the Moriches Library Branch
- Haunted Libraries! with Jill Sollazzo
Register to attend here.
Starting at 7pm on Wednesday, October 16 at the Mastic Recreation Center
- Ghost Hunting Technology and Trivia with Kristen Cinar
Register to attend here.
Starting at 7pm on Tuesday, October 22 at the Moriches Library Branch
- Scientific Equipment used in Paranormal Investigations with LIPI
Register to attend here.