Libraries keep closing for meth

BY OLIVIA PRENTZEL AND JENNIFER BROWN THE COLORADO SUN

Librarians will tell you the role of public libraries hasn’t changed — they’ve always been a community space open to all, with a mission to educate and serve.

What changes is the world outside, and whatever is going on in society, will go on in the library. e rise in homelessness, untreated mental illness and drug use have forced libraries to adapt, from extensive sta training in how to de-escalate outbursts to hiring social workers and security guards. is winter, though, libraries across suburban Denver were hit with a new challenge. One by one, they tested for methamphetamine residue in their bathrooms and air vents, fearful that sta and the public were in danger from the toxic contamination left behind by patrons smoking drugs in the bathrooms.

In an extraordinary domino e ect, four libraries, some of the last public spaces welcome to everyone, closed.

Some libraries hoped the public would see the closures as a wake-up call, opening eyes to what they deal with every day, according to emails of library directors obtained by e Sun through public records laws. Other libraries emailed to nd out whether the rst libraries to close had overreacted or if they should test, too. All were concerned upon hearing the test results about the health of their employees.

press release regarding the fatal shooting of Stephen Poolson Jr.

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