Heated Discussion At Detroit Library Public Forum

DETROIT (WWJ) - Amid allegations of nepotism and mismanagement of the Detroit Public Library, WWJ's Beth Fisher reports from a public forum...where participants talked about the possible closure of several branches.

"Someone needs to be arrested, this sounds like a friends and family plan...it sounds like money laundering to me, I know a crime when I see one, do you?  Well, why don't you do something about it? says Detroiter Michael Wright, who adds he'll ask for a public investigation.

Mildred White of Detroit is concerned about libraries closing.
"I do not understand why they would have to close, I consider Detroit a major city despite the recent census report. But I still think we need to have libraries and need to have them accessible to everybody," says White.

"We have encountered a tremendous dip in the tax receipts, and it was totally unexpected," says Library Commission President Judge Edward Thomas.

Thomas' daughter received a library contract but Thomas says he had no role in that.

The Library Commission is expected to make a decision this month.