Rating: Transneutral, NYup, September 28, 2023 (PDF archive) (HTML archive) (Take Action)
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Adirondack library, known for drag queen story hour controversy, closes after staff abruptly quits
- Updated: Sep. 29, 2023, 1:14 p.m.|
- Published: Sep. 28, 2023, 3:50 p.m.
By Sunny Hernandez | ahernandez@nyup.com
An Upstate New York library closed this week when all but one of its employees abruptly quit.
According to CBS 6 Albany, a sign on the entrance to Rockwell Falls Public Library in Lake Luzerne reads it will be closed until further notice due to “staffing shortages.” The director and all but one employee abruptly quit.
The Adirondack town library was in the news earlier this year after plans to host their first drag queen story hour were canceled amid furious national debate.
The heated small town discussions brought the resignation of the library board president and the appointment of short-term leaders in April, the Times Union reported.
Now-former director Courtney Keir said she and her staff have reported feeling unsafe and have been harassed regularly by members of the public in the library since the drag queen story hour was announced.
Scarlet Sagamore, a drag queen from the Capital Region was slated to read at Rockwell Falls. The story hour was to include stories, songs and the crafting of crowns. When the event was announced on the library’s Facebook page, the deluge of comments came in. Opinions ranged from people excited to attend the family friendly event to commenters who declared that bringing children to a drag show should be considered a crime.
At a July board meeting of the library, Keir recounted the harassment incident reports they had filed with no resolution.
CBS 6 said the harassment claims were also in relation to upset residents who say they want answers about the library’s financial records. Several FOIL requests about how particular people are being paid have allegedly gone unanswered.
In the meantime, Lake Luzerne is without a library, while a replacement staff is being sought out. No fines or fees will be collected on any late materials during the period of closure to the public.
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