As Halloween approaches, thoughts turn to the paranormal and supernatural. For us here at I Love Libraries and the American Library Association, libraries are a key component of those thoughts, of course.
Books flying off shelves! Strange sounds emanating from nowhere! Sudden temperature changes in hallways and back rooms! Spectral figures floating through the stacks! They’re the makings of a Halloween and library lovers dream.
Libraries in the U.S. are full of ghosts, from the famed Grey Lady who haunts Evansville (Ind.) Public Library and the spectral nun who appears in the library of Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, California, to the plethora of spirits who inhabit Peoria (Ill.) Public Library and George and Helen Mahon Public Library in Lubbock, Texas.
Let’s explore them and more from the safety of home.
Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana
The oldest public library in Indiana, Willard Library is reported to be the most haunted library in the U.S. The Victorian Gothic building is home to the Grey Lady, the ghost of a woman who has been seen throughout the library since the 1930s.
Willard Library has embraced its hauntings, so much so that it set webcams throughout the library to capture ghost sightings. You can watch, too—if you dare.
Scottsdale (Ariz.) Public Library
Two branches of Scottsdale Public Library—the Arabian Library and Mustang Library—are rumored to be haunted. Unexplained voices, random cold spots, and books flying off shelves prompted library staff to bring in paranormal investigators who found evidence of hauntings in both branches.
Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, California
A nun in a white habit is reported to haunt the library in this school, which was founded in 1899. She apparently appears during freshman orientation-perhaps to welcome new students to her forever home. Students and staff also report sounds from a ghostly piano throughout the school.
Peoria Public Library
The library in downtown Peoria has a storied history. It’s rumored to sit on cursed ground, which may account for the multiple library directors who’ve met tragic ends. One of which even died outside the library after being hit by a streetcar in 1915. That director, Erastus S. Wilcox, supposedly haunts the library, along with a host of other ghosts. Patrons and library staffers have seen the shadowy figure of a man and a woman in Victorian garb haunting the library, as well as reported strange cold spots that come and go unexpectedly, unexplained sounds, and an overall spooky feeling at night.
American Libraries’ podcast explored the Peoria Public Library hauntings in a past episode, and it’s riveting listening.
George and Helen Mahon Public Library
In 2023, Samantha Larned, a reporter from KTTZ radio station at Texas Tech University, contacted I Love Libraries to tell us about the supernatural happenings at George and Helen Mahon Public Library in Lubbock, Texas.
Larned produced a fascinating feature for KTTZ about the Mahon Public Library hauntings, and it gave us goosebumps. The 50-year-old library is host to a myriad of spooky occurrences: disembodied whistling, footsteps, and voices; books that fling to the floor by themselves; and the ghosts of a former volunteer whose seen in the horror lit section and a dark-haired woman in a red dress. The freakiest, however, is “The Forbidden Corner.”
As Larned reports:
“In addition to a cold spot in front of the library’s only occult section, staff and volunteers tend to avoid a section of the basement known as ‘The Forbidden Corner,’ where towering bookcases and light that doesn’t quite reach the edge create a feeling of claustrophobia, as well as reports of scratching coming from the concrete wall.
The library does not have any pests.”
Mahon Public Library leans into its hauntings, hosting ghost tours some Halloween seasons. These tours have also produced some unexplained phenomena.
“After the haunted tour in 2021, library staff was sent a tour photo from a couple who attended,” reports Larned. “[Director of Lubbock Public Libraries Hannah] Stewart described the photo as containing what is both a small glowing orb and a child. Children are not allowed in the ghost tour, and there were none at the library that night.”
Explore more library haunts with our friends at American Libraries!
Who you gonna call?
For the brave, many libraries offer ghost-hunting kits complete with all of the accoutrements needed to become an amateur ghosthunter.
At Birmingham (Ala.) Public Library (BPL), patrons can check out ghost-hunting kits that contain an EMF reader, spirit box, flashlight, a divination kit with dowsing rods and pendulum to commune with the supernatural, and an instruction book covering the basics of ghost hunting and some often-overlooked safety tips.
BPL notes on its website that ghost hunting isn’t just about frights, it’s also about exploration and discovery.
“Much like reading a good book or researching a new topic, ghost hunting allows the curious to delve into the unknown and spark imaginations,” they write.
To help new ghost hunters on their journey, the library has details about various local locations rumored to be haunted. One of the spots featured is BPL’s own Linn-Henley Research Library. Visitors have reported hearing strange sounds, seen doors mysteriously open, and have even caught a whiff of Fant Thornley’s favorite cigarettes. Thornley was the director of BPL from 1953-1969, and his ghost is rumored to haunt the library.
Watch a video about the library’s famous hauntings below!
How you can support libraries
The library community is frightened right now, and it’s not because of ghosts.
Library funding is being gutted at the national and local levels, and book censorship is on the rise. Some librarians are even having their lives threatened just for doing their jobs.
Supporting libraries is more critical than ever right now. If you’re looking for a way to help, we urge you to become a Supporter of the American Library Association by donating.
At the American Library Association, we are here to protect libraries — today and for generations to come. What does your donation do? It helps a neighbor gain skills to start a business. It helps a child discover themselves through books and programs. And it helps keep libraries strong, open, and free for everyone.
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Feature image: A vintage postcard of Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana, from the ALA Archives.
