Bohachek runs for reelection at library board

Aaron Bohachek is running for reelection as trustee for Zone 3 in Bonners Ferry for the Boundary County Free Library.

He released the following press release announcing his bid for reelection.

Dear Boundary County,

Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve as trustee in your independent library district for the past term. I’ve applied for the position again, and on May 16 voters in my district get to decide if I’m still the right fit for the job.

When I agreed to take on this task, I didn’t realize I would be caught in the middle of a culture war battle. The strain of this has been difficult for the board and staff but I can’t emphasize enough how proud I am of everyone that continues to keep our library functioning and growing.

I’m no politician. To be frank, seeing my name on yard signs all over my neighborhood is mildly embarrassing to me. I’m able to do this job while running my bee business but as anyone in agriculture knows, spring is a busy time of year for growing things. So you won’t see me knocking on your door. I’m not going to send you a hundred mailers. I appreciate the many supporters who have volunteered on my behalf and I promise you that, if re-elected I will continue to do this job to the best of my ability.

The Boundary County Library has a legacy of more than a century in Bonners Ferry and can trace its roots back to a wheelbarrow full of books cruising the muddy boardwalks of a frontier mill town. Early on, the citizens chose to create an independent library district, complete with its own taxing district in order to fund a permanent location to share the precious knowledge the townspeople had collected together. As trustees, it is our most basic function to disperse these funds in a fair way, so that the taxpayers receive the most benefit from their contribution. Individually, these taxes cost us, the homeowners of Boundary County less than a Netflix account but collectively we are able to get just enough to keep our library going.

The importance of our library is unquestionable. Aside from the wonderful things inside, we, the taxpayers, own the building and the land upon which it stands, as well as the parking lot. Aesthetically, the building itself provides a backdrop to one of the most sacred locations in Bonners Ferry, the Memorial Park, and serves as an anchor for the gateway to the downtown corridor. Though the concrete block building has withstood the test of time, there is no denying that many parts of the library are looking rather shabby, and that major repairs can only be patched so many times.

With this in mind, the library board will need to plan deliberately and carefully for growth in the coming years.

One of the biggest considerations in a building plan is the incorporation of an elevator or lift. There is no denying that the entryway to the library is clunky, and can get icy and dangerous in winter. There is no way, once inside, for someone that relies on a wheelchair or walker to get from upstairs to downstairs.

Instead, they must circle the building 270 degrees! The other big consideration is, of course, space. The role of libraries is changing. We stand at a crossroads where the ways we consume and access information has changed dramatically. Even as a bright-eyed Gen-Xer I’ve watched as computers got smaller, and faster, then finally ate our phones and TV’s. Not to mention the books. Librarians are listed as an endangered species on the jobs predictor boards. Because of this, another important job of the board is to assess what the role of the library is in the community, and how to best meet the community’s needs.

When I came to the board, part of what drew me was the foresight director Sandy Ashworth had to address these changing needs and roles. While the addition of maker space learning tools may seem an odd fit for a public library, they perfectly addressed a need our community has. There is great benefit to self-guided learning, especially so that it can benefit workers and businesses (without, of course, subsidizing profit-making ventures). For children, the broad array of hands-on programs and learning tools opens the library to more of what my wife calls ‘the squirrels’ who just can’t sit down all the way through a book.

Digital learning, computer and internet access, video gaming (yes, the library is for entertainment purposes too!) and community meeting, gathering and socializing space are all important functions the library serves. And in a changing world, we weigh these uses against the most classic function of the library — the stacks. Where many libraries have ‘gone digital’ and traded bookshelves for couches, we have held on to our real, actual books. The job of keeping these stacks fresh, new and cared for, culturally relevant but not too controversial, unless it’s controversial and hot… is the job of our amazing professional librarians. And it is a big job, for it is over these stacks that our culture war is being fought.

For me, the difficulty in this argument is the problem of balance. We are asked to balance the right to personal freedom against the need to protect the vulnerable. In current Idaho and U.S. law, there are very strong protections for content suitable for minors, and I am proud to say that the Board of Trustees and the library staff follow these laws explicitly. But what of content that our patrons find offensive? For this, I can proudly point to the work my fellow board member William “Lee” Colson did to bring our community together to craft a collection policy that leans heavily on community input.

Those who believe more strongly than I in trading personal freedoms for government protection have long argued that they had no desire to ban books from the adult section of the library, and that the only wish is to protect children. I believe them. I will advocate strongly for the freedom of access for adults, but I am also willing to take a serious look at the kinds of materials available for kids in our library. How can we deny a problem exists if our constituents tell us it does?

“But Aaron,” my friends on both sides ask, “Where do we draw the line? How far do we let THEM go?” I don’t have an answer for that. My line is different than yours, and so we will find out together through our collection policy. Through continued public engagement, input and care. Together we can decide if books can help teenagers understand drugs, sex, suicide, violence, love, death and God. We can help our librarians decide which books we need, and how. Or we can fight until we tear the walls of the library down around ourselves.

I prefer not to fight but to build. The library is a worthy investment. It is worth the toil, the energy, the time and the money. Our library is worth everything we invest into it and more. You, the citizens of Boundary County deserve the joy, the benefits and the cultural enrichment of a strong, growing library.

And it is only you who can keep the Boundary County Library free, open and available to all.