Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County
News Release
(Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012) - Is the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County haunted? That is the question that the cable TV show “Ghost Hunters” seeks to answer in the episode “Due Date with Death,” featuring the Rundel Library Building. The show will air on Wednesday, November 28 at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the SyFy channel.
For years, library staff who have worked in the imposing, 80 year-old Rundel building have told tales of doors opening and slamming shut by themselves, elevators moving on their own and creepy figures that seemed to play hide and seek through the dusty shadows of the upper stacks.
The stories were dismissed as tales created by overactive imaginations until recently. Security cameras, which are in operation 24/7, have repeatedly caught an auditorium door swinging open and closed; seemingly of its own accord. After viewing this phenomenon several times and not finding any mechanical explanation for it, library administrators called in the Ghost Hunters to delve deeper into the mystery. Each year, Ghost Hunters receives investigation requests from all over the world, but preliminary evidence of the library “activity” sparked their interest and brought the team to Rochester for a closer look.
In late August, Jason Hawes, Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and the rest of the crew showed up to film the library and the subway tunnels that run underneath it. The building size represented a challenge to the crew--requiring two full nights of work beginning at 4 p.m. and ending at 2 a.m. The crew was granted unprecedented access to all areas of the library, many rarely seen by the public. Several library staff members recount their experiences for cameras. Christine Ridarsky, City Historian and Head of Historical Services for the Central Library got the first peek at the results of their investigation. The “Ghost Hunters” producers have sworn her to secrecy until the show airs, on Nov. 28. Tune in to “Ghost Hunters -Due Date With Death,” and find out the answer to the question, “Is the Central Library really haunted?” Check the SyFy Channel's website for upcoming previews of the show and further air dates.
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News Media: For more information, contact Sally Snow, Assistant Director, MCLS at (585)428-8051