Coeur d'Alene library board to begin new director search

COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Public Library board of trustees is scheduled to meet tonight to start the process to find a new director.

The board is set to meet at 4 p.m. in the Jameson Room at the library to appoint a recruitment committee tasked with finding a replacement for Michael Priest, who recently turned in his resignation.

Priest accepted a library position near his hometown and family in New Zealand. He started with the city in October 2020. His last day will be July 12.

Priest oversaw a library with a budget of about $2 million and a staff of about 30 full- and part-time positions. The library offers services to nearly 30,000 cardholders. 

The library director's salary range is $85,259 to $103,177.

The library director post in Idaho came under even more scrutiny with the passage of a new law in Idaho that established a statewide policy for reviewing materials that could be considered “harmful” to minors, including items with sexual content, nudity or homosexuality. It took effect July 1. 

If a patron challenges an item, library officials have 60 days to remove or relocate it, after which the patron can file a lawsuit, according to Idaho Education News. A library that violates the law faces a mandatory $250 fine.