Boulder Main Library reopens following closure for meth residue cleanup

The doors of the Boulder Public Library's main branch were back open for business on Thursday but only partially. After an extended closure, library patrons were allowed to pick up reserved items or books ordered online.  

"It'll be good to get them. Hopefully, they'll be cleansed of meth," Keith Moore said as he came to pick up his order. 

The library had been shut down for a couple of weeks so testing could be done for drug contamination.

"We noticed a spike of people smoking meth in our bathroom. Unfortunately in the main library, and we also had two instances where staff members reported feeling ill," explained city spokeswoman Sarah Huntley.

The bathrooms will remain shut down, while those that were involved in the incident need to be decontaminated.

Jon Caldara, a Boulder resident, is the president of the Independence Institute, a Libertarian group.

"And to think it's well-known that people go to smoke meth in the bathrooms. And to think that these people have more access to the library than the people who pay for that government service is pretty insulting," he said.

His son, Chance, who has Down syndrome, is one of those individuals unable to use the library due to the contamination. 

"We are rewarding the criminal class at the expense of the truly vulnerable," Caldara said.  

Some patrons believe meth is part of the broader homelessness problem that's occurring throughout Colorado. 

"To have it in the library in a public space, especially where you have kids. There has to be a better solution than that, cause that's no solution at all," said library patron Keith Moore.

The library is expected to return to full operation on Monday.