JAMESTOWN TWP, Mich. — Questions remain about why an embattled West Michigan library recently closed early.
The Patmos Library board of trustees held a regular meeting on Monday, one week after it shut down because of “staff safety”.
Officials made the announcement in a Facebook post, but have not released additional details.
Patmos Library became the center of national attention earlier this year after residents voted against an operating mileage because of a few LGBTQ+ books and others with sexual content in the library’s young adult section.
PAST COVERAGE: Future of Jamestown Twp library uncertain ahead of midterm election
During the meeting, several residents expressed frustration over the lack of information and accused the board of making the safety concerns up for their own benefit.
“Stop it with the fear mongering. Stop it with the lies,” said one woman. “Jamestown is a beautiful community, a safe community, a community that stands up for the protection and well being of its children and that is nothing to fear.”
“Why did this happen?” asked another woman. “Could it be that it was just another scare tactic to get the media’s attention so they could bring more negativity to Jamestown? Are all these so called safety concerns legitimate? Or is it just a strategy intended to manipulate public opinion about a particular issue by arousing fear or alarm?”
Other people disagreed and applauded the board for its decision.
“It doesn’t matter if a threat is real or perceived, the safety of the library employees is imperative to keep the library open,” said one woman. “We all have the right to feel safe in our homes, our communities, and to know that there are community members who do not feel safe here is disheartening.”
During the meeting, Larry Walton, board president, called the post factual then added that the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and other outside agencies were investigating.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office says deputies did not advise the library to close early that day.
The office added the only report it had recently received regarding the library was the Thursday before over a comment made by a metro Detroit politician, but that the issue had resolved itself the next day.
FOX17 tried to clarify the confusion with Walton, but he declined to comment.
A Patmos Library employee, who spoke during the meeting, suggested staff had reached a breaking point which prompted the closure.
“Why did we close last week? Well I’ll tell you,” said the employee. “We have a breaking point. We have been threatened, we have been cursed.”
She added, “We broke. Deal with it. We’re human. I’m tired and I’m tired of all of you. I moved to this town two and a half years ago and I [have] regretted it every day for the last year. This has been horrible. I didn’t know people could be like this. I wasn’t raised this way.”
In other business, Patmos Library announced it will now close in January 2025.
A few weeks ago, a September 2024 closure date was set, but shortly after the library received a $100,000 donation, which allows for a few extra months of operation.
READ MORE: "That's a wow factor": Patmos Library's fight to stay open gets national attention
