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Scarsdale Public Library Director Elizabeth Bermel was on her way from her home to Starbucks to pick up coffee for the first-ever "Finals Night"the library stays open two hours later and serves snacks to Scarsdale High School studentswhen she got a phone call from one of her employees that there was an emergency at the library at around 6:30 p.m.
"When I arrived there were emergency trucks everywhere," said Bermel.
She soon learned that library staff had smelled a strong, unfamiliar odor and called the Scarsdale Fire Department. Emergency vehicles arrived and evacuated the building due to concerns caused by library patrons coughing, according to Bermel. The Scarsdale Police Department and Scarsdale Fire Department called for a hazardous materials response team.
All students and library patrons in the building were not allowed to leave the area.
"There was yellow police tape," said Bermel.
After the air was tested it was determined that everyone who had been in the building was safe and it was assumed that an "unidentified item, thought to be a stink bomb, had been placed in the book return slot, according to Bermel. Students and staff were able to go home at around 9:30 p.m.
"The poor kids that were trying to study. We hope the kids will come back tonight. We have twice as many snacks," said Bermel. "The snacks were held hostage in the refrigerator last night."
The Scarsdale Public Library is going to continue as planned and remain open until 11 p.m. Wednesday.
This story will be updated.
Were you at the library last night? Please share what it was like to be there.
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