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Residents urge commission to maintain library funding, cite existing reconsideration process
Summary
Multiple Brookings County residents urged commissioners to continue library funding and avoid a voucher approach; library director offered to guide citizens through the one-page reconsideration form for challenged materials.
Several Brookings County residents urged the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 4 to continue funding county library services and to reject proposed voucher-style alternatives.
"If the goal of some Brookings County residents is to find something bad about the library, a person can find it if that’s what they are looking for," resident Tony Lanning said during the public comment period. Sally Pies added that the library already has "written policies and procedures" and a one-page reconsideration form that citizens may use to challenge specific materials. Library Director Ashia Gustafson offered to walk anyone through that reconsideration process.
Resident Mary Lonowski said she had spoken with many citizens and that "the consensus is to fund the library at previous levels and not proceed with the voucher process." Lonowski also said she agreed with Commissioner Larry Jensen that the commission is not an ethics board and referenced the library's policy manual as protecting minors. The board did not vote on any change to library funding during the meeting.
