Books, complaints on library network agenda for Thursday

An executive session regarding complaints against a public officer is one item on the agenda for the upcoming regular meeting of the Community Library Network's board of trustees, to be held from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Post Falls Library.

The agenda was amended by Chair Rachelle Ottosen early Friday afternoon and again Tuesday afternoon. One amendment was a time allotment change, the other was further clarification on the reason for the executive session.

The board is also expected to take action on a draft of its Materials Selection Policy, to which sweeping changes from the current policy have been proposed. This includes the removal of an entire section on intellectual freedom, as well as adding "taken in whole or in part" to the definitions. Historically, literary works are taken as a whole rather than evaluated by excerpts or sections.

Separate from materials selections, the board has crafted a new Materials Withdraw and Reconsideration Policy to define the Community Library Network's review criteria and process for removing materials from its collection. This policy outlines how library staff will "weed" the collection, with a focus on materials found to be inappropriate for minors.

The current Materials Selection Policy was adopted Nov. 4, 2022. Following this adoption, the board implemented cards especially suited for minors.

"The library does not disseminate materials harmful to minors and is not in violation of Idaho Code," Community Library Network Director Alexa Eccles said Tuesday. 

Eccles said government must be neutral and should not restrict ideas or the ability for people to freely read. The library is a safe place for everyone, she said.

The network's board is in the final step of approving these two separate policies. The board majority — Ottosen and Trustees Tim Plass and Tom Hanley — at the Nov. 2 special meeting encouraged the board's counsel, D. Colton Boyles of Boyles Law, to review the drafts to bring back to the board as soon as possible.

The Community Library Network has received six individual comments from community members through the network's website regarding the Nov. 2 meeting and changes to the library policies, Eccles reported.

"Public comments have focused on concern about how these policies will change the library’s collection," she said.

These comments also related to board behavior, civility and decorum; informing the board and staff of a Coeur d'Alene Press article; asking the board not to waste taxpayer money defending or pursuing lawsuits in pursuit of an ideological agenda; curating a library for the purpose of educating and not desensitizing and indoctrinating kids; stating the First Amendment does not restrict the ability of a librarian to use common sense to filter out explicit content; and a wish for parents to be the deciders on what is appropriate for their children to read. 

A 30-minute public comment period will be permitted during Thursday's meeting.

The Post Falls Library is at 821 N. Spokane St.

Visit communitylibrary.net to view agendas and contact trustees.