Jamestown, MI - The Patmos Library in Jamestown Township didn't close because of a budget shortfall. It didn't shutter due to a lack of interest or support. It's temporarily closed because a group of taxpayer-funded staffers walked off the job—together, in unison, with cameras rolling.
Let's call this what it is: a coordinated media stunt dressed up as a resignation.
Five out of eight employees abruptly quit last week, claiming they could no longer operate under the direction of the elected library board. But timing is everything. The mass exit came just before summer programming was to begin—a key time when families and children rely on the library most. The very next day, headlines rolled out across West Michigan, with former staff members ready to give teary interviews and quote-perfect soundbites.
On May 12 at 6:30, local activists packed the little library—roughly 150 people, many rallied by earlier news coverage. Days prior, local Democratic Party leaders had called for a protest showing, hoping to amplify media narratives. Public comment leaned heavily activist, with many attendees not even from Jamestown. Supporters of the board who dared to speak were loudly booed.
Below is a gallery of photos and video from the May 12 library board meeting.
The current Patmos Library board members were democratically elected last November. They ran openly on a platform of increased transparency, parental involvement, and restoring trust in the library's role as a community-serving institution. They've taken steps to ensure books are age-appropriate, budgets are scrutinized, and programming reflects the values of the people footing the bill.
In response, critics called them censors. Former staffers claim they were "not allowed to do their jobs." What they really mean is they were no longer allowed to run the place without oversight.
Here's the real question every Jamestown Township taxpayer should ask: What happens when public employees don't like being held accountable by elected leaders? In this case, they stage a walkout and claim martyrdom on the evening news.
Let's be clear. These staff members didn't just quit on the board. They quit on the kids hoping to start the summer reading program. They quit on the elderly patrons who rely on the library for internet access and companionship. They quit on their neighbors.
But they didn't quit quietly. They walked straight into the arms of the media, eager to frame the story as a heroic stand against an "oppressive board."
Despite the dramatic headlines in the local media, the community isn't fooled. The majority of residents have rallied around the board, offering support and stepping up to help the library reopen. Volunteers are organizing, job postings are going live, and Interim Director Debby Helmkamp is working diligently to ensure summer programs move forward.
The people of Jamestown Township elected this board to fix a problem. And now, as that board does the hard work of restoring order and trust, the ones who walked out are trying to torch the institution they once served.
A public library is not the personal playground of activist staffers or progressive ideologues. It is a shared space, funded by the people, accountable to the people, and representative of the community's values—not an elite few's.
When unelected employees refuse to carry out the direction of the elected board, that's not bravery. That's insubordination. And when they leave in lockstep to create a news cycle—that’s not burnout. That’s a media strategy.
The library will recover. The board will hire. And the people will remember who stood with them—and who stormed out when they didn't get their way.
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Eric McKee is a lifetime resident of West Michigan. Married with two energetic boys, he spends his days balancing work with dad life. Also, a firm believer that Almond St. Claus Windmill Cookies are the ultimate snack (and maybe a little too good).
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