Residents urge commissioners to rescind new library guidelines, cite staffing and censorship concerns

Dozens of Columbia County residents used the public-comment portion of the Board of Commissioners’ July meeting to demand the county rescind recently adopted library guidelines and to restore input from library professionals. The speakers said the guidelines have driven staff departures, prompted questions about whether the county attempted to leave the PINES regional library system, and empowered politically aligned board members to exert control over library policy.

The complaints were brought by local residents who said they had direct experience with the system. "This board and the county seem to be making a lot of decisions about the library in the dark," said Ashley Keller, of Grove Town, during public comment. "The guidelines were passed without any input from librarians or citizens." Keller said the county’s discussion about leaving the PINES network was uncovered only after an open-records request.

Why it matters: Commenters said the changes affect staffing, access and community trust in a core public service. Several speakers linked the policies to an increase in open staff positions and to a perception that library governance has become politicized.

Speakers described the local effects in detail. "The county currently has six positions open at Evans and two at Harlem," said Karen Parham of 3421 Hilltop Trail, criticizing what she described as a hostile environment for library employees after the guideline changes. Parham accused the board of appointing library advisory members aligned with specific political views; she said one appointment appeared connected to campaign donations. "The only qualification one board member seems to have is that she and her husband each gave $2,500 to Commissioner Couch's campaign," Parham said.

Other commenters framed the issue as broader civic concern. Marlena Bergeron, of Willow Creek Court, warned of "fear-driven mob mentality" and invoked historical examples to argue for intellectual freedom; Andres Reed Smith, of Vicky Court, compared censorship to conditions in countries he left and urged that responsibility for policing children’s reading remain with parents.

Speakers asked the commission to restore librarian input on policy, stop perceived political interference, and — in some comments — to put any controversial policy changes to a public vote. Several asked the board to reverse its recent actions and to re-engage with the PINES system.

What the record shows: Public commenters repeatedly said the library advisory board has assumed decision-making authority and that bylaws were altered to remove references to partnering with librarians. Those claims were raised in public comment by multiple speakers but were not responded to with new policy votes or staff directives during the meeting.

No formal board action on the library guidelines was taken during the meeting. The public-comment segment recorded no motions, votes or staff directions adopting or rescinding library policy; comments were presented during the meeting’s public-comment period.

Community context and next steps: Commenters tied the issue to staffing and to the county’s relationship with regional library partners. They urged commissioners to allow trained library staff to manage collection decisions and to provide clearer public communication about any governance changes.

"Your opinions, while valid, are irrelevant" to professional practice, Keller said. She asked commissioners to "stay out of the library and allow that to be run by professionals." The board did not make a statement or vote on that request at the meeting.

Ending note: The library controversy dominated the public-comment portion of the July meeting; speakers asked for transparency, restoration of staff input and formal clarification of the county’s relationship with the PINES network.