The Grey Lady made her debut in the winter of 1937. A custodian was tending the boiler fire, which was at the time just a standard early morning task at the library. He sensed he wasn’t alone. Naturally, he reached for his flashlight, expecting  a coworker or perhaps an unhoused patron the library kept warm in the winter nights.

Instead, he found himself face-to-face with a semi-transparent woman in a long victorian dress, high collar, hair up in a bun, and a veil that suggested she was not there to ask about overdue fines.

Since then, staff and patrons alike have reported all sorts of unexplained experiences: books casually falling off shelves, footsteps with no identifiable owner. A potent fragrance, often described as lilac, lavender, or an old fashioned perfume. Chairs being moved on their own, and light bulbs flickering and flashing even after they’ve been freshly replaced.

On the first floor, above the copy machine, hangs a portrait of Louise Carpenter, the daughter of Willard Carpenter. Some believe the ghost could be her, though there are many different theories. Staff and patrons have their own ideas. The main running contenters are Willard Librarians: Otilda Goslee, Katherine Imbusch, and Mary Olive Flower. But the truth may remain a mystery, unless she chooses to reveal it herself.

During business hours, our cameras take a snack break to give our youngest patrons the privacy they deserve.

Screen record and screen shot! If you would like to send us your evidence you can at the following email: willard@willardlib.org or share it with the Willard Library Ghost Chatters on Facebook!

Willie! He has been named after our founder Willard Cartpenter.

Yes! Please visit the Paranormal Investigations section of our website for details and booking information.

We have! 

August 20, 2018 – Forever Known as “Strange Energy Day”

A group was meeting in the Bayard Room when their computers suddenly decided to improvise with technical issues. At the exact same moment, the elevator apparently needed a break and got stuck.

Later, staff closed the building as usual. Out in the parking lot, they noticed the lights in Special Collections stubbornly stayed on. The seasoned Librarian was fairly certain he had turned them off because leaving lights on isn't something he would normaly do. Two employees ventured back inside. The alarm was disarmed, one Librarian went upstairs to flick the lights off, and they reset the alarm at 8:08 p.m. before finally leaving.

At 8:11 p.m., after everyone had exited, it is believe that the Stairwell ghost cam captured the Grey Lady herself descending the stairs from Special Collections, proving that punctuality is apparently a spectral trait.