Drugs in Public Libraries: Is it an issue?

Librarians were once fighting overdue books, but nobody ever thought they would have to fight overdoses too. Stacey Richardson, the Director of the Kent City Free Public Library, sat down to talk with me about the opioid epidemic. She explained to me that this is not just happening within the homes or streets of our community, but it is happening in the free public library not even a mile away from Kent State University’s campus.

I want listeners to pretend like they are taking a step into the Kent City Public Library, and I want them to ask themselves what they would see. People, desks, computers? I want them to ask themselves if they ever could think about walking into this public space only to find needles or blood splattered on the restroom sinks and floors instead of the books they just wanted to check out? I am asking these questions because this is something I have repeatedly asked myself ever since drugs became such an issue right here in our town that we call home.

I also talked to over five Kent State students and wanted to know if they thought the Northeast Ohio Drug Epidemic is a problem in Public Libraries. Click below to hear the full story.