Colorado libraries keep closing for meth contamination. Is it their problem to solve? – By Olivia Prentzel and Jennifer Brown (Colorado Sun) / Feb 9, 2023
Denver metro libraries are spending tens of thousands of dollars to clean up meth residue in their bathrooms, but directors say the drug use reflects a societal problem that should not be theirs alone to fix
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. The rise in homelessness, untreated mental illness and drug use have forced libraries to adapt, from extensive staff training in how to de-escalate outbursts to hiring social workers and security guards.
This 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 staff and the public were in danger from the toxic contamination left behind by patrons smoking drugs in the bathrooms.
In an extraordinary domino effect, four libraries, some of the last public spaces welcome to everyone, closed.
CONTINUE > https://coloradosun.com/2023/02/09/meth-library-closures/
