I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts! Haunted History Part Two

I ain't afraid of no ghosts! At least that's what I kept telling myself as I entered Central Library on a mission to "bust ghosts." With Central Library celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, what better time to explore some of the mysteries and stories that may linger within its walls? We weren't really here to bust ghosts, though. We just wanted to see for ourselves and answer the question: "Is Central Library haunted?"

So how do I answer that, now that I've been on a ghost hunt through purportedly haunted nooks and crannies of my favorite place? I'll tell you my tale and let you, gentle readers, decide!

We started on the 4th floor in the closed stacks with an intrepid assortment of Library staff; some true believers to ferocious skeptics. We were joined by Linda, the Ghost Hunter, and Patti (Negri), the Medium, who would guide us throughout the night. They arrived with two carts full of equipment.

The night started off with a literal bang! While we were in the 4th floor hallway, doors that are normally fixed open came off their magnetic posts and slowly closed with a heavy slam. For those of us caught behind, it was pretty spooky. Could it be explained away? Maybe, but I like to think it was a gentle reminder that we weren't alone.

As Linda and Patti started pulling items from their cart, they explained how each device was to be used. Both remarked that there was already "a lot of activity." 

They laid out a variety of motion sensors and trigger objects. The music box was so loud and consistent that Linda remarked she had never seen it react so strongly.

I was chosen to try out the Estes Method. This setup included a transistor radio device, plus headphones and steampunk-looking glasses with red lenses. I sat in one of the hallway chairs while questions were asked–not of me, but of the spirits. My job was to answer what I heard through the static.

I heard bits of voices that were mostly nonsensical, but I did hear what sounded like "pretty bird," as if someone was talking to a pet parrot. I also heard someone speaking Spanish, and what sounded like my own recorded voice. Truly spooky!

Patti used custom-made dowsing rods, but their battery drained within minutes. She also set up a custom-made spirit box that included a crystal ball atop a device that scans white noise so the spirits can answer questions. Some of the responses included "chocolate," "Christmas," "party," and various first names.

Next, we walked through the hallways to the staff elevator, which took us down to the History department on Lower Level 4. Patti and Linda both shared that investigating Central Library was a dream come true and a highlight of their ghost-hunting careers.

Once we arrived, everyone helped set out a variety of motion-sensor items. Some immediately started beeping, flashing, and squawking. It got so loud they eventually had to turn them off.

Then they pulled out something that combined a digital camera and a Kinect 360. It had been modified to function as a spirit locator. If a spirit was in the room, green stick figures would appear on the screen. They moved around, some slowly, some quickly. A few appeared to be dancing. I read up on these devices afterward and couldn't find reliable data on their accuracy. Still, we all saw the green figures on the screen. This felt the most like actual ghost busting, as you could aim the camera around, pointing it where you thought a ghost might be hiding. It felt like you were actually capturing something.

I chatted with a few of the more skeptical among us and wondered aloud how they thought it was going. By this point, we had all seen or felt unexplained phenomena, such as doors closing, lights turning on or off on their own, and cold spots. So far, no one's mind had changed, but the strange occurrences were admittedly adding up. Could they all be explained away?

Our next stop was back up to the 4th floor, this time near the desks of a few employees who had reported feeling or seeing strange things. As the group started setting up again in this new spot, some of us took a quick bathroom break. As we walked down the long hallway towards the bathrooms, a few of us caught the scent of dinner cooking. I think I remarked, "Something smells good!" This was around 11 p.m., and there was actually no one in the break room or heating anything up in the microwave. I should mention that back in the day, that particular area once housed an employee cafeteria. Coincidence?

Read more about the cafeteria in this article.

When we returned, we regrouped around staff work areas and turned off the lights to better observe any activity. We noted that this was one of the few places where the lighting panel was easily reachable. No sooner had the equipment been set up and Patti and Linda begun trying to speak to the spirits than the lights popped back on. No one was near the switch. We turned them off again, only for them to pop back on. This happened a few more times until we finally gave up and left them on. Maybe the ghosts were afraid of the dark?

I should mention that Linda and Patti told us not to share rumors and stories about each location beforehand, so as not to influence their investigations. 

The closed stacks were where several people had reported feeling a tap, a hand on their shoulder, or the sensation of someone standing directly behind them. Through the years, people had also said they heard sounds of kids running and laughing and the rhythmic tapping of old typewriters.

As I leaned against the wall, wondering how much traffic I'd encounter on the drive home, I looked toward the elevators, of which I had a clear view. I saw the elevator doors open and a man step out. He wasn't anyone I recognized, and he wasn't dressed like a security guard (who are in the building at night). He got out, walked to the left, and disappeared from view. 

No one else had seen him.

The next day, we reviewed the video footage of that set of elevator doors. Sure enough, the doors had opened around that time, but no one actually got on or off. Was it just the end of a long and spooky night with tired, dry contacts? Or did I really see something? I'm still not sure.

The final spooky thing was the spirit box. It had been saying a variety of things all night, from "chocolate" to "pizza" and other non sequiturs. But now, as it "said" the names "Steve," "Marjorie," "Jessica," "Frank," and other random things, we began to hear pages turning loudly and then a typewriter clacking away.

I never felt scared, but all of us who remained did walk out of the building in a big group (just in case). And yes, the drive home was quick! 

So, in answer to the question, "Is Central Library haunted?" I would be inclined to say yes, as were Patti and Linda. But… it's a big but… as with any psychic phenomenon, you can ask everyone there what they saw and get completely different answers. Some walked away convinced they encountered something supernatural, while others remained in the skeptic camp.

Perhaps that's part of the magic of Central Library, especially as we celebrate its centennial this year: Its walls hold a century of stories, and maybe even a mystery or two to unravel.

• The Estes Method is a paranormal communication technique in which a person is blindfolded and given noise-canceling headphones that are plugged directly into a spirit box. In addition, you were given some version of Delco Goggles. See Delco Experiment. 
• EMF Meters
• Spirit Boxes (Patti has a custom spirit box that looks like a crystal ball) 
• REM Pod
• Paranormal Music Box
• Dowsing Rods (Patti has custom rods that glow different colors) 

• Linda had a camera to "see" the outlines of ghosts. It was most likely a thermal imaging or infrared camera. These detect heat variations and cold spots in rooms, which investigators often interpret as a spirit presence absorbing thermal energy.