Library board reviewing material policy, director candidates

BONNERS FERRY — It’s going to be a busy meeting in March for Boundary County Library Board trustees, from reviewing the district’s materials policy to going over candidates for the library director post.

The Materials Selection and Collection Development policy has received six edits and meetings by a policy advisory committee. Eight months in the making, the edits stem from a June 16, 2022, where trustees voted 3-1 to update a section of the Materials Selection and Collection Development Policy.

Section 6.4 was changed to read “the Boundary County Library Board of Trustees recognizes that given the increasing emphasis on frankness and realism of materials including those that explore social, sexual and ethical issues, some members of the community may consider some materials to be controversial and/or offensive.”

The update and a quick approval of the policy sparked a recall of the board, excluding trustee Aaron Bohachek, who voted no.

Organizers of the recall wrote on social media that Bohachek was not listed in the recall because he voted “no.”

Apologizing that it took so long, trustee Lee Colson thanked the committee and people stepping up to help with the policy update.

At the Feb. 16 meeting BCL trustees amended the agenda in order to adopt the Boundary County School District 101 precinct map. The library trustee zones match up with the school district trustee zones. Colson said the new precinct map had to be updated 30 days prior to the application deadline for trustees to ensure a fair and open election.

The BCL trustee election for zones 3 and 5 will be on May 15. Currently Aaron Bohachek is trustee for Zone 3 and Lee Colson for Zone 5.

After the meeting Adrienne Norris, with the Boundary County Watchman, put the trustees on “notice” claiming they were “deliberating prior to the start of the meeting” when looking over the BCSD1010 precinct map changes.