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Four applicants present backgrounds and priorities to Great Falls Public Library board
Summary
Four candidates for the Great Falls Public Library Board described professional and volunteer experience, stressed commitments to public access and operations, and raised concerns ranging from homelessness near the library to facilities improvements; the board took no appointment action at the special meeting.
At a May 21 special meeting, the Great Falls Public Library Board of Trustees heard statements from four applicants seeking board appointment.
Anne Burnett, a Great Falls native who recently retired after a 45-year nursing career including 25 years in perioperative leadership, said she wants to continue contributing to the community and cited her leadership and stakeholder experience as assets. Burnett described the library as "a sanctuary during her teenage years that played an important role in her life," and said she would support the library's mission through governance and problem-solving.
Len Nopen, who has volunteered at the library for over six years working with the DVD and CD collections, said he appreciates the staff and the environment and emphasized a desire for the library to remain "a safe and welcoming space." He also raised concerns about increasing homelessness in and around the library and suggested facility improvements, including bathroom remodeling, as ways to maintain safety and accessibility.
Brian Patrick, an educator and district administrator who oversees budgeting and large capital projects, outlined his financial and facilities experience. Patrick said he has worked with budgets of "approximately $120 million annually" and noted past responsibility for a $100 million bond for district-wide improvements, arguing those experiences would support board oversight of renovation planning and fiscal stewardship.
Ken Robison, a historian and longtime volunteer in the library's Montana Room, emphasized the library's role for research and preservation. Robison said the library is a critical community "information hub," citing his decade of volunteer service assisting genealogy researchers and his work with archival materials.
No formal appointments or votes on the applicants occurred at the meeting; the statements were offered for the board's consideration as part of the special meeting's agenda. The board did not take action on appointments before adjourning at 3:17 p.m.
