Deep in the shadows between the shelves of books, has it ever occurred to you that something spooky could be lingering? Thousands of interactions between staff and students, millions of books, and much to be explored... could something ghostly be hiding at the University of Toronto Libraries? This Halloween season, we set out to ask staff across our libraries about their frightful, unexplainable experiences while working. Take a moment to read what they have shared, but don’t get too comfortable! There might be something lingering over your shoulder....

A patron came in right before closing – then disappeared!
Maya and Johanna, Eberhard Zeidler Library

One night, 5 minutes before our library closed, a woman came walked in. We let her know that we were closing soon and she nodded but didn’t say anything. 5 minutes later, when she hadn’t left, we got up to tell her that we were now closed. We could not find her anywhere in our small library! All exits are visible from the front desk where we were sitting so we were sure she did not leave. We searched everywhere for her but as we never found her, our only conclusion was that she must have been a ghost…

Why did you do that...
Anonymous, OISE Library

There were a couple of unexplained incidents a few years ago in the back rooms of the OISE Library. One time, my coworker walked in to find that someone – or something – had unplugged the fridge overnight, leaving all the food to spoil inside. Another time, another coworker found the clock on the table – not fallen, but face-down, like it was picked up, the time changed, and then placed on the other side of the room. We like to think that it was just a human mistake, but we can’t say for sure. Thankfully, this hasn’t happened in a couple of years... fingers crossed!

A scholarly ghost?
Ness, Music Library

I worked as a Student Library Assistant (SLA) at the Music Library during my undergraduate degree. During that time, I would sometimes see someone moving in the corner of my eye or hear them ruffling through the books of the Lower Basement level. However, when I moved to help them or to reshelve some books, I would discover that the floor was completely empty and that I was the only human being there!

Funnily enough, after talking with some fellow SLAs, I found out that some of them had similar experiences. Given how it happened to a few of us, we came to the conclusion that there must be some very scholarly ghosts who just want to continue their research in musicology.

The Ghosts of UTL