Libraries are supposed to be quiet places for reading, but the York Public Library recently discovered its parking lot had become something else entirely: a free overnight campsite, Wi-Fi included. Turns out a popular overlanding app had been steering truck and van campers straight to the library’s lot since last summer, and nobody at the library had a clue until the electric bill showed up looking a lot heavier than usual.
CBS13’s Brad Rogers dug into the story after library leaders in York said they were genuinely shocked to learn what was happening in their own parking lot. Campers had apparently found the spot through iOverlander, a crowdsourced app used by the overlanding community to share campsite locations, complete with details on amenities and safety.
Library director Michelle Sampson said she arrived one Monday morning to find overland truck campers parked at the far end of the lot, and a man sitting on the front porch charging his devices off the library’s outdoor outlet. When she asked around, she learned the group had been traveling together and found the spot listed online as a legitimate place to stay.
The kicker is that iOverlander never checked with the library before the location got posted. Reviews on the app painted the lot as basically a five-star campsite: free Wi-Fi that reaches the parking lot, empty and quiet after 9 p.m., a laundromat conveniently across the street, and since the library is closed Sundays, no one around to notice a truck camper tucked in the corner.
How the Campsite Rumor Spread
According to the posts Rogers found, the reviews go back to last summer. One camper wrote that the library’s Wi-Fi signal reaches the lot and that being closed on Sundays meant no hassle in the morning. Another, posted just last month, called the lot large, empty, and very quiet all night, and recommended it highly.
For a community built around finding free, low-key overnight stops, that’s about as good a review as it gets.
The Bill Comes Due
Sampson said the library’s electric bill jumped $300 to $500 compared to the same period last summer, which she attributes to overnight guests charging devices off the building’s outdoor outlets.
Fixing the problem apparently means physically locking those outlets and putting up “no camping” signs for the lot, both of which are already on order.
Commenters are skeptical: “Nawww charging devices isn’t gonna run up $300 in electricity,” one said, followed by another: “Someone must have run an extension cord and ran their A/C. There is no way running a laptop and charging your phone would cost that much.”
Our Take
Honestly, we get the appeal. A quiet, well-lit lot with Wi-Fi and a laundromat across the street sounds like a pretty solid stop for anyone living the overland life on a budget. But a library isn’t a rest stop, and it shouldn’t have to foot the bill for guests it never agreed to host. This is really a case of a good app feature getting used a little too creatively.
A few signs and some locked outlets should sort it out, no hard feelings on either side.