Group promises book burning party if millage to save Troy Public Library fails

The lengthy debate over the fate of the Troy Public Library has taken another turn recently, as signs and social media are urging people to vote "no" on a millage that could save the library, promising a book burning party if the measure fails.

Listed as Book Burning Party on Facebook and @BookBurninParty on Twitter, a group is urging people to "vote to close Troy library Aug. 2. Join us for the book burning party Aug. 5."

The group has just four tweets, two of which read as follows:

"When you're lighting those fireworks, think how much more fun it will be to light all those books! #BookBurningParty #Troy #books #library" on July 1, and "Camden, NJ is shutting down its library and they want to destroy the books. Way to go Camden!" late Wednesday night.

Phillip Kwik, head of the public services department at the library, said at first he thought the tweets were satire, but after seeing signs pop up in the city and learning that a ballot access committee named Safeguarding American Families is behind the movement, he's not so sure.

"(When I first learned of the movement), I thought 'This is some bad attempted satire,' but to spend money on signs for a committee, that's not somebody forming it as a joke," Kwik said.

"We're, of course, concerned. It's a threat against the library and city property, public property."

Though the wording is ambiguous, the signs and social media accounts seem to indicate that the library's books would be burned just days after the measure fails. Kwik said that will not be the case.

"We are preparing to inventory (the books), reconcile our book records and patron records, do all that, then to mothball them in the building in the event that at some future time the library might reopen.

"We have 300,000 items, a multi-million dollar collection."

Tom Ball is listed in campaign records as the treasurer of the group. When reached by phone around noon Thursday, Ball said he knew about the book burning party but could not comment before discussing the matter with "the board."

Ball said he may be able to comment later Thursday afternoon.
