JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Lindsey Heidema has been working in library services for over four years in Holland. She said as soon as she walked into work Tuesday morning, all of her coworkers were talking about what happened in Jamestown Township last week.
“We were all kind of fired up about it,” Heidema said. “By the time I went on the GoFundMe, like the amount was going up as I was looking at the page. So, there’s definitely a lot of people in support of this library.”
Last week on Election Day, August 2nd, a millage to fund Patmos Library in Jamestown Township was shot down, mainly by a group of conservatives due to its LGBTQ+ literature, said Larry Walton. He’s the Board of Trustees president and has had that title on and off for 15 years.
Monday night, they held a public meeting at the library. Walton said “it was standing room only” and that the the divide over the books was 50/50.
“The word is disappointment, heartbreak, that this would happen, the defunding and potentially the closing of a library,” Walton said. “That’s a wow, that’s a wow factor that’s created national attention.”
The controversy over the books has gained national attention. Last night, local resident Jesse Dillman created a GoFundMe to save it.
“I heard about the GoFundMe and I felt really compelled to give what I can,” Heidema said. “I was really inspired by all the people from across the country that had given and donated money too.”
People donated from as far away as New Jersey and Seattle. So far, over $77,000 has been raised.
“Never expected to have, you know, national exposure,” Walton said. “So, it’s all new. But we’re wanting to talk and get the word out, and [we] appreciate it, everything that's been done so far. And we feel now, with the decision last night, three more months ahead of us to keep the momentum rolling in regards to this.”
During Monday’s meeting, they voted to put the millage on the November ballot, Walton said. They’ll be meeting with their attorneys soon to discuss what the language on the millage will be.
He said their main message no matter what is that everyone, including literature, is equal.
“Keeping information available for all in our library or through our library allows all individuals to be educated, to learn,” Walton said. “We feel that it’s up to the parents to provide guidance to their children.”
Walton said a major concern for the opposing group was the message LGBTQ+ books would send to kids. However he reiterated that that’s a parental responsibility.
Walton also stated that the board of trustees abides by the rules set by the Michigan Library Association Code of Ethics, which calls for them to put their biases aside and think of the community as a whole.
That's what they're doing, he said. Their goal is to keep the library open and keep diverse books on the shelves.
“Pulling books off the shelf and out of the library is against the U.S. Constitution, against the First Amendment for freedom of speech,” Walton said. “So, our code of ethics says no. We have directives to follow. [We] follow that as guidelines, the Constitution as guidelines. We are thinking of the broad picture, the broad picture being, you know, a diverse community.”
