Libraries need to remain free. That’s why Idahoans need to vote next week | Opinion

Idaho’s libraries have come under attack for the last two years.

There have been efforts by pressure groups to push self-censorship and at the Legislature to enforce censorship through civil and criminal penalties.

The greatest danger may come on May 16, when new library board members are selected.

In past years, library board elections have been thoroughly boring affairs — the closest thing we have to an election for dog catcher. But the far right has made a concerted effort to take over small boards like these. It succeeded at North Idaho College, and that institution is now on the verge of catastrophe.

The question in these elections is no longer, “Which of these two decent people would be marginally better at the administrative tasks of a public library board member?” but “Which of these two candidates would seek to ban books they disagree with?”

It’s up to voters to keep libraries free. So they should inform themselves. (The Statesman has a voter guide.)

In the Meridian Library District, where far-right activists have sought to shutter the library, incumbent Destinie Hart has taken an unabashed stand in defense of intellectual freedom.

“Censorship has no place in our public libraries,” Hart wrote on her candidate questionnaire. “Free access to information is foundational to a healthy democracy.”

So Hart understands what her job would be perfectly: not a person who decides what people are allowed to read, but a person who helps people get what they want to read.

On the other hand, Xavier Torres, Hart’s challenger, was a signatory on the petition to dissolve the Meridian Library District he is now seeking to help run. He can’t be trusted to run an organization he sought to abolish.

He claims to have a different view on this issue now, but it is no better.

“No one wants to dissolve our library, including me, but many asked me to run to promote conservative values within our community library,” he told our reporter. But the point of a library isn’t to promote a set of values. It is to allow each individual to explore according to their own.

There’s a similar dynamic in the race between incumbent Meridian trustee Josh Cummings and challenger David Tizekker, though Tizekker has shown a bit more moderation than Torres.

Tizekker claims that extreme positions have been staked out by both the existing board and by the book-banning crowd, and he says he would seek a middle ground by using a community ratings system to help parents make decisions.

But this is a call for censorship posing as moderation. He indicated on his questionnaire that one reason a book could be removed from the library’s current collection — is that it “no longer meets community standards.” But the whole point of intellectual freedom is that the community doesn’t get to decide which views are allowed.

When Cummings was asked if he would support removing any books in the library’s collection, he answered: “No.” He said the library’s existing policy, which seeks to have the books that people request and read, is a good policy. That is the correct answer.

The situation is more complicated at the Ada Community Library board, where the board held an illegal unnoticed vote to remove six books, including Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” from the library system before rescinding its action.

Incumbent Sandra Taylor said, “I don’t think banning books is the answer,” which is good. However, she refused to say how she voted on the prior book ban — which gives us considerable pause.

But her opponent, Deborah Pogue, is more concerning. She refused to answer any questions at all, and her website suggests she would pursue a “conservative” policy for the library. A library shouldn’t be liberal or conservative. It should be free.

The other incumbent, Amy Fife, is not seeking re-election, so three newcomers are vying for her seat.

Both Mary Anne Saunders and Melodie Huttash have said that they will oppose efforts to censor library books, and either would be a good choice for the board — though perhaps Saunders has slightly better experience for the post.

On the other hand, Renee Trommler, the other candidate, appears to be cut from the same cloth as Pogue. She too didn’t respond to any questions, and she even shares a campaign website with Pogue.

It is important that libraries be free because they are the training grounds for participants in a democratic society.

With few big races on the ballot, May 16 is likely to be a low-turnout primary, where those who do bother to show up will have an outsized voice. That means it’s more important than ever to do your part to protect your local library.