ENDORSEMENT: Vote for Lippert

The CLN trustee election is not about who will protect children and who will harm them. Nobody wants children harmed.

I believe the choice is between two philosophies of what a public library should be. Michelle Lippert knows a great library is one that provides access to balanced, non-biased informational and recreational resources that reflect the diverse interests and needs of the taxpayers who support it.

The current library board is creating extreme policies that will limit adults and minors access to a variety of subjects and viewpoints based on what the trustees believe are appropriate. In doing so, the library will cease to be of value to the community as a whole.

In their quest to make sure minors do not randomly come across “harmful” materials, the board will be relocating adult fiction they disapprove of to the locked mature content room. They are currently finalizing an extreme materials and acquisition policy. In this policy and by their comments, they indicate they will avoid purchasing adult and minor books containing “propaganda” and “culture war issues.” These hot-button terms are extremely subjective and are interpreted according to the biases of the individual selecting the material. No single viewpoint should govern the purchase of materials for a taxpayer funded public library. Access to a wide range of subjects and viewpoints are bedrock principles of great American libraries.

Michelle Lippert will be a moderating influence and bring balance to the current board. She will stand up against their extreme policies with logic and reason. She will work to make sure the CLN is a valuable asset for patrons of all ages. Vote for Michelle, save our libraries. 

NANCY HARPER

Coeur d’Alene