The Fontana Regional Library Board of Trustees cut its ethics statement amid a string of new policy decisions, citing improper implementation and a lack of potential for enforcement.
During its July meeting, the FRL appointed committees to review the system’s circulation policy, public comment procedures, ethics statement and collection development policy. Finance and personnel committees were established to prepare the library system for the exit of Jackson County libraries.
Prior to the board’s Sept. 9 meeting, Chair Cynthia Womble and Vice Chair Tony Monnat resigned from their positions as officers but will continue serving as board members. The following were elected as officers: Bill McGaha, chair; Cheryl Taylor, vice chair and Kathy Smith secretary.
Trustees appointed the FRL’s new finance officer, Lisa Kim Fisher, who was offered the position after being unanimously approved by the board at a Sept. 2 meeting. Fisher is taking the place of the library’s previous officer, Lynn Cody, who resigned in August.
Ethics statement removed
The ethics statement committee presented a revised ethics statement for approval.
Womble said, “[In] the existing ethics statement, the last line was that the board would support the efforts of the librarians to combat censorship … the final thing that came out of the committee actually removed censorship completely out and changed the last line of the ethics statement completely to say that the board supports the collection and development policy of Fontana Regional Library.”
“What that says to me in reading it is that there is a plan by some of the board members to change the collection development policy to add censorship to it and then say it’s ethical because our ethics statement doesn’t say we’re against censorship,” Womble said.
Womble went on to recommend cutting the statement entirely, saying the statement has not been required by FRL trustees for the majority of the libraries’ existence and is not enforceable.
“It was not put in place until within the last two years … and it was put in place to try to address a specific issue that the board at that time was having. And since that time, it’s been clear that we don’t have a way to enforce it,” she said. “It just seems like it’s not accomplishing anything except creating concern and consternation on both the part of the public and on us as fellow board members.”
McGaha also supported the idea of cutting the statement, expressing concerns that the statement would constrict trustees’ speech by preventing them from expressing dissent against board decisions. He also said the decision to require the statement was made and voted on improperly by the board’s chair. The board voted to strike the ethics statement unanimously.
Circulation policy change
A proposed change to the FRL’s Circulation Policy altered a statement reading, “Fontana Regional Library does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability or genetic information in the provision or administration of library services” to instead read, “Fontana Regional Library does not discriminate in any way in the provision or administration of library services.” The change passed 7-1, with Tony Monnat voting against.
“I think that we would just be sending the wrong message to our constituents,” Monnat said ahead of the vote.
Attorney search
FRL Director Tracy Fitzmaurice shared details on the search for attorney services to help prepare for Jackson County libraries to withdraw from the system. Fitzmaurice said she has had little luck finding an available attorney in the past two months.
Kathy Smith put forward a motion to establish a committee to search for an attorney, saying she had not seen anything in the bylaws that would allow the FRL director to “unilaterally hire legal representation.”
“Fontana Regional Library has been in existence for 75+ years and the regional director has always had the authority to contract for additional services as needed,” Womble said. “Finding an appropriate attorney and hiring them has always been part of that … our bylaws haven’t changed that much in those 75 years.”
“And quite honestly, we’re running out of time; we’ve got decisions that need to be made … one of those is going to be starting to meet with Macon and Swain County on a new regional agreement and we need to have an attorney representing FRL sitting at that table,” she said.
The motion failed without a majority with Smith, Marva Jennings and Lori Richards voting in favor and Womble, Monnat and Cheryl Taylor voting against. Deborah Smith and McGaha abstained.
Library repairs in Franklin
McGaha shared an update on the state of repairs at Macon County Public Library, saying the bulk of repairs to the building’s front deck and roof have been completed, but there are still leaks in the children’s section.
“It’s really a serious area over there, they’ve had to completely protect a couple, three rows of books now,” McGaha said.
- Shelby Powell
reporter@thefranklinpress.com