Meridian Library trustee shares what would be lost if district is dissolved | Opinion

Last month, a group calling itself “Concerned Citizens of Meridian” presented a petition to the Ada County commissioners requesting a voter referendum to dissolve the Meridian Library District. In response to community pushback, some of these “concerned citizens” have claimed on social media that they don’t actually want to disband the district, but instead simply want the county commissioners to remove the current trustees, giving the library district a new start with a new board.

Residents of the Meridian Library District should not be misled by these false assertions. The road the Concerned Citizens have started down has only one destination: no public library system for the second-largest city in Idaho.

Following Idaho state code (Title 33, Chapter 27) and within their legal rights to do so, the Concerned Citizens created a petition, gathered at least 50 signatures in support of it and presented it to the county commissioners for a decision on the next steps. State code is clear about what happens if a majority of voters in the district were to vote to dissolve the library district. In that dire case, the county commissioners are legally bound to shutter the district’s soon-to-be five branches and liquidate its assets.

Furniture, fixtures, computers, shelves and all the books on those shelves would be sold, as would all the buildings and land. There is no option in state code for the county commissioners to take over as temporary guardians of the library and its assets. There would be no more Meridian Library.

Say goodbye to the more than 200,000 books, e-books and DVDs that are checked out over a million times each year. Goodbye to children’s story times, the Pokemon club, the English conversation club and other programs that will see over 40,000 attendees this year.

Book delivery service to homes, care facilities and senior centers would end. The bookmobile would no longer visit local parks and apartment complexes. No more unBound business and technology branch with its 3-D printers, podcast studio and small business support center. No more Wi-Fi for those in our community without reliable or affordable internet at home. No more support for home-school students and their parents. No more meeting space for job seekers to meet with the Idaho Department of Labor, or for tax help through the volunteer income tax assistance team.

To those worried about children accessing content that may not be age-appropriate, please know that in the Meridian Library District, a multitude of board-approved policies, practices and tools are in place giving every parent full visibility to and control over their children’s library use.

These policies support every parent’s right to decide what is best and appropriate for their particular family. Library policy requires all minors receive parental permission as one step in getting their own library card. Parents can choose at what age they want that to happen. Parents can also link their own email address to their child’s library account, allowing them to see exactly what their child is putting on hold and checking out.

The Concerned Citizens’ petition is not to reform any aspect of the library system nor to directly recall any board members. Legally, this petition is to dissolve the library district and every last ounce of good that it provides our community.

Libraries have been a vital institution in this community for almost 100 years now, and I hope they can benefit Meridian for at least another 100 years. As an elected trustee, I’ll continue to respectfully and strongly fight all attempts by library opponents to blow the whole thing up.

Jeff Kohler is a trustee for the Meridian Library District. He wrote this piece speaking for himself and not on behalf of the board.