Jamestown Library Defunded (Again) Over LGBTQ Books, Will Likely Close

Back successful August, Kelly Jensen wrote astir however conservative propaganda led to Jamestown, Michigan voting down the room millage (tax) rate that was connected the ballot, making it intolerable for the room to enactment unfastened for much than a fewer months. Jamestown Conservatives called the librarians “groomers” who were “indoctrinating” children due to the fact that they refused to instrumentality LGBTQ books disconnected the shelves.

Some Jamestown residents responded by starting a GoFundMe run for the library, which received donations from astir the world. It soon raised implicit $100,000, which is erstwhile Nora Roberts added a $50,000 donation — the maximum allowed by GoFundMe. It topped retired astatine implicit $250,000 successful donations.

These donations were ne'er meant to beryllium a replacement for section funding, though: libraries beryllium connected a reliable fund and can’t past agelong with a one-time lump sum. Instead, this wealth was meant to assistance support them afloat until they could get the question connected the adjacent ballot, this clip with a fund to run for it.

That ballot happened past week, and the results are in: Jamestown erstwhile again voted against the millage rate, 55.8% to 44.2%. This wealth represents 85% of the library’s budget. The municipality seems to person shown they’d alternatively person nary room astatine each than 1 that carries LGBTQ books.

You tin work much astir the challenges to LGBTQ books astatine Patmos Library astatine M Live.

Find much quality and stories of involvement from the publication satellite in Breaking successful Books.