Several libraries across the northern suburbs received bomb threats Thursday afternoon, and while police found no bombs, the libraries responded by shutting down in order to calm shaken employees and patrons.
Libraries in Morton Grove, Park Ridge, Gurnee and Wilmette have reported receiving threats, prompting Glencoe Public Library, which did not receive a threat, to close its doors, citing a building emergency.
The apparent first threat was sent at about 2:09 p.m. through the Wilmette Public Library’s Chat with a Librarian function, according to Wilmette Deputy Police Chief Mike Clark.
The “all-clear” was given after Wilmette police, in coordination with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office explosives team, conducted an extensive search at 2:30 p.m., officials said Thursday afternoon.
Library officials closed the building for the rest of the day and Wilmette police are investigating, according to a news release.
Libraries have been facing increased scrutiny across the country, as well as in Lincolnwood and other local suburbs, with some individuals or organizations pushing for book bans or bans on events such as drag queen story hours. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation in June designed to combat book bans in Illinois by withholding state funding from libraries that remove books and other materials from their shelves for “partisan or doctrinal” reasons.
Park Ridge Police Executive Officer Tom Gadomski said the Park Ridge Public Library was also subject to a threat Thursday at 4:41 p.m. that was determined to be a hoax. He said the threat was made over an internal messaging system.
“Our officers did do an initial sweep of the interior of the library and, as an abundance of caution, the library closed for the remainder of the day, as did several other libraries who received the same threat,” he said.
Morton Grove Public Library received two threats Thursday, according to Executive Director Pam Leffler.
“Fortunately, my staff followed our emergency procedures perfectly, the Morton Grove Police were prompt and responsive, and the threats deemed not viable,” she said. “As you can imagine, staff were understandably rattled a bit, so in consultation with my department managers and the Board president, I made the decision to close for the evening out of an abundance of caution.”
At 6:02 p.m., the Warren-Newport Public Library in Gurnee received a bomb threat through its chat reference service, according to a post on the library’s Facebook page. The building was evacuated and searched by the Gurnee Police Department and a local K-9 unit. The library reopened on Friday morning.
At Lincolnwood Public Library, which did not receive a threat, Library Director Susan Dove Lempke said, “My understanding is that the threats came through libraries’ chat functions on their website, and we don’t have that on ours.”
Glencoe Public Library Executive Director Andrew Kim said the library was closed in response to threats made directly to other nearby libraries, but there was not a direct threat against Glencoe’s library.
Glenview Public Library also closed in response to threats made to nearby libraries.
“It’s very upsetting,” Illinois Library Association Executive Director Cynthia Robinson said. “Public libraries are available to everybody and it is one of the few places where you can go and not spend any money. It is scary, as libraries work very hard to be safe spaces for their patrons.”
Robinson added the association would be working with its partner agencies on how to move forward.
According to the FBI Chicago Public Affairs Team, the bureau has been made aware of the threats, but its statement did not indicate whether the FBI was investigating.
