Library board resolution sparks discussion on Act 372
A discussion at the June 12 Garland County Quorum Court meeting about the county library’s process for soliciting applicants for its administrative board veered to the controversial new law concerning library materials.
Justices of the peace Micah Braughton, R-District 1, Jimmy Young, R-District 4, and Dayton Myers, R-District 7, opposed County Judge Darryl Mahoney’s appointment of Amy Shipman to a five-year term on the library board of directors. A bipartisan majority comprising eight JPs adopted the resolution appointing her.
Library Executive Director Adam Webb told the quorum court Shipman was one of four applicants he forwarded to Mahoney. She’s a librarian at the Lakeside School District.
“As you can probably imagine, not many people want to be on library boards these days,” Webb said. “Amy met all of the criteria. Her heart is in the right place, and she has a really good head on her shoulders.”
Myers asked why the library doesn’t advertise openings on its board, telling the quorum court one of his constituents was interested in serving but was unaware of the opportunity.
“I think it might be a good time for us to look at changing the way we go about finding people to serve on the library board,” he said. “I think the employee should not be interviewing his employers. It’s up to Judge Mahoney to bring us a recommendation, but I think we need to open this up to more people.”
Myers motioned to table the resolution during the Ordinance Committee meeting that preceded the regular monthly meeting of the quorum court. He suggested bringing it back after a 30day application period. The motion was withdrawn after Mahoney and several JPs said the Ordinance Committee wasn’t the proper forum to debate the issue.
“This is about how the ordinances are written, how it’s presented,” Larry Raney, R-District 13, said. “It’s not about the issue before us. That discussion takes place in quorum court.”
Webb said he’d be willing to advertise future openings on the board, noting that most of the 12 people he approached weren’t interested in applying. County Attorney John Howard told JPs the statute governing county advisory and administrative boards is silent on how applicants should be solicited.
According to the statute, applicants are appointed by the county judge and confirmed by the quorum court.
Young said he was concerned by comments Shipman made to The Sentinel-Record in January regarding the new law that creates criminal and civil penalties for school and library employees who furnish materials considered “harmful to minors.”
She said the law could end up hurting children, but Young told the quo
rum court the intent is to protect children.
Mahoney said he reviewed the slate of applicants more closely than he would have prior to the Legislature’s adoption of Act 372.
“I did not vet them down to what they did 10 years ago,” he told the quorum court. “I vetted (Webb) as far as you can vet. I trust his word. I trust his leadership. I trust his opinion. I promise you I looked at these a lot harder than I’ve ever looked at any in the past, because there is such controversy surrounding this issue.
“It should not be that way. We shouldn’t have controversy surrounding our library. There’s going to be books in there people don’t agree with.”
Webb is one of numerous plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit challenging the new law on grounds it violates the 14th Amendment.
“If the library were some den of pornography and sin, I don’t know why those groups would be meeting here,” Webb, referring to local political committees that use the library as their meeting space, told the quorum court.
“You know me. You know my staff. You know what’s there. You know all the good work we do in our community,” he said.
“The library has books that deal with controversial topics and that have coarse language. We always say a good library is going to have something that offends everybody. That’s the wonderful pleasure of living in a community and a country that has freedom of speech is occasionally to be offended.”
Myers said the county should cast a wider net for applicants given the charged atmosphere Act 372 has created.
“It might be wise to allow every person in Garland County who’s qualified and would like to serve on this board to put in an application,” he told the quorum court. “I don’t think we want this to turn into an issue in Garland County like it is in Saline County. We want good cooperation with our library director and library board. Carefully selecting a five-year appointee might be a prudent move by this body.”