A library in western Michigan is at risk of closing in the next year after town residents voted against a tax that would have funded 84% of the facility’s budget, following a fight over a book with LGBTQ+ themes on the library’s shelves.
On Tuesday, people in Jamestown Township voted 62% to 37% against approving a millage that would have been applied to residents’ property taxes in order to fund Patmos Library.
“We stand behind the fact that our community is made up of a very diverse group of individuals, and we as a library cater to the diversity of our community.”
The vote followed a dispute over a book called Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, which had appeared in the adult graphic novel section and prompted some residents to speak out against the content at library board meetings earlier this year.