Idaho: “Boundary Library Policy Seeks Compromise In Book Banning Debate”

From The Spokesman Review:

Nine months after its director resigned over threats, a North Idaho library appears to have reached a compromise with the community.

Boundary County Library’s revised materials and collections policy, which formalizes a process for concerned community members to challenge books, comes into play ahead of an election May 16 for two seats on the board.

When former library director Kimber Glidden resigned last September, it brought national media attention to Bonners Ferry, a small town near the Canadian border.

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Last month, the Boundary County Library board named Lynn Silva the new library director. A longtime employee, she had been serving as interim director since Glidden left.

Glidden had been in the role for less than a year. Part of her new job was to update the library’s policy, which had not been revised since the early 1980s.

Language in the new policy alarmed some citizens.

“Selection of materials will not be affected by any such potential disapproval (by community members), and the Boundary County Library will not place materials on ‘closed shelves’ or label items to protect the public from their content,” the policy said.

The board approved the policy before sharing a draft with the public. The move triggered a recall effort against four of the five trustees, which eventually petered out, never making it to the ballot.

Read the Complete Article (about 1400 words)

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