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Residents urge county to reverse library guidelines, cite staff shortages and lack of transparency
Summary
Multiple residents told the Columbia County Board of Commissioners that recently adopted library guidelines have been implemented without transparency, that staff morale and retention have suffered, and called for the county to rescind the guidelines and return control to library professionals and the regional network.
Dozens of residents asked the Columbia County Board of Commissioners on July evening to rescind recently adopted library guidelines and to stop political interference in library operations. Speakers said the guidelines were adopted without input from librarians, have led to staff vacancies and service disruptions, and that plans to withdraw from the regional library system were pursued without public notice.
Public commenters said the issue matters because it affects the county’s public library workforce, the services residents receive, and the county’s membership in the regional library system. Several speakers tied the debate to broader questions about intellectual freedom and the county’s reputation as it seeks economic development.
Ashley Keller said the county’s handling of the guidelines reflected “control and censorship” and called out a lack of…
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