We elect library board members believing that they have the best interest of the library and community at heart. We trust that they will respect the library director’s decisions and the residents’ rights. Some members of the Hartland Cromaine Library Board have violated that trust.
They have laid the groundwork, created a model, and established a precedent for library trustees who disagree with topics in the library’s collection.
In the future, we might have an atheist elected as a board member who objects to the bible and other religious content. What some current board members want is no different than what the atheist wants, to impose an agenda on the community. If a Jew is elected, maybe he will find books about Hitler offensive. Should he be allowed to control them? What if a native American becomes a board member and wants to manage all literature that depicts his ancestors as savages?
Do not think that these examples cannot happen because it’s evident that people with agendas do get elected. Most of us never thought that we would have to defend our library and its staff against a board that violated our trust. Fortunately, in November we can replace them.
Evelyn Gallegos
Brighton
