The St. Charles Public Library reopened for in-person visits after closing last month because of threats against its employees over the library’s mask policy. From the Aurora Beacon-News.
On Jan. 18, a group of about 35 to 40 adults and children went into the building at 1 S. Sixth Ave. without wearing masks as part of a protest, officials said. An Instagram video by Awake Illinois shows people inside the library’s youth services area without masks, reading books and doing puzzles as police were called.
After the incident, library officials said they began receiving threatening emails and phone calls with statements like “they don’t even know what a threat to safety is yet” and “these people need to be shown what an actual ambush looks like.” One person tweeted “Imagine the reaction if you all went in there with loaded guns,” following the protest.
St. Charles police were called on Jan. 20 after more people tried to check out books without having masks on, according to police reports The Beacon-News received through a Freedom of Information Act request. The library also reported receiving several unhappy voice mails, with one male voice stating “Freedom rules, you guys are going to go down.”
Library Executive Director Edith Craig told police that she felt unsettled after hearing the voice mail because she didn’t know what he meant by it, according to a police report. Since the library reopened, the library is not open in-person past 5 p.m. Drive-thru services are available until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday. It is also open for drive-thru from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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