Shrewsbury library evacuated after custodian finds heroin in recycling bin

The Shrewsbury Public Library was evacuated on Tuesday morning after heroin was discovered inside a recycling bin.

Staff called local authorities around 7 a.m., after a custodian found a packet containing the white powder.

Police, firefighters and a state hazardous materials team inspected the building. The hazmat team later confirmed the substance was heroin.

The library reopened within four hours, explaining the situation to the community on Facebook.

"Thankfully, it was in the hands of someone who worked here," said Molly Butler, who frequently visits the library. "There are lots of kids here."

While drugs have never turned up at the library before, Shrewsbury Public Library Director Ellen Dolan admits all public libraries are vulnerable to drug use, as they are free and open to everyone. Staff in Shrewsbury have occasionally suspected visitors were high based on their behavior.

"This is something that is not unusual for a public library," Dolan said by phone Tuesday. "We have the same issues that are out there in the community. It's a sad situation for all involved."

Earlier this year, public records requested by Boston 25 News revealed nearly three dozen overdoses in local public libraries in 2017.

The issue has become so pressing that staff are learning how to administer the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.

In December, a Worcester librarian saved a 28-year-old man's life with eight milligrams of the nasal spray after he was found unresponsive in a bathroom.

At Brockton Public Library, where dirty needles have been found, the bathrooms are now kept locked. Visitors must ask for a key at the reference desk. Staff can then observe who goes in, what their behavior is and how long they are inside.

"I guess I'm not terribly surprised, because you hear so much about the opioid epidemic," said Erin Howard after leaving the Shrewsbury Public Library Tuesday. "Drug use is widespread. It can happen anywhere."

Cox Media Group