Multiple public commenters urged Charleston County Council to resist efforts they described as politicizing the county library board and to ensure appointments reflect community diversity.

‘‘Keep politics out of the library,’’ Melanie Collins told the council during public comment, framing appointment fights as matters of principle and representation. Paul Bowers, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, thanked council for ‘‘rejecting an effort to politicize our library system’’ and warned organizers ‘‘they will be back’’ to attempt similar actions elsewhere.

Councilmembers later debated the balance of viewpoints on board appointments. Several members said a library board should reflect the community and that ideological homogeneity is undesirable; others emphasized adherence to ordinance and procedure. The public record included both appeals for intellectual freedom and concerns about intimidation or harassment surrounding board-selection efforts.

The council did not take a separate formal vote on the library-board appointments during this session but discussed the procedural history and the limits of council authority to seat members whose terms do not begin until Jan. 1 under county ordinance.