Selecting qualified candidates for library board
Dear Editor:
Within the next four months, three positions on the Board of the Meeker Regional Library District will be open. Two of those positions will be filled by appointees chosen by the Rio Blanco Board of County Commissioners and one will be filled by an appointee chosen by the Meeker Board of Trustees.
In the August 6th edition of the Rio Blanco Herald Times, the Rio Blanco County Board of County Commissioners submitted a Letter to the Editor that announced the first of these openings and described the process to apply for this position. Along with this information the Letter also talked about the importance of public service.
It is important that people who are interested in being on a Community Board consider being on the Library Board. Keri Grieser, Vice President and Toby Leavitt, Treasurer who will be the two Library Board members remaining on the Board, are knowledgeable about and dedicated to the Library. They understand the Bylaws and State statutes governing the Library, the Library Board and the Library District. They understand that being on the Library Board will take more than just an hour a month and are willing to put the time in to ensure that the Board is informed and operating in the best interests of the patrons of the Library. Being on the Library Board would be a great introduction to public service for anyone considering being on a Board.
That being said, it is important that the Board of Commissioners and the Meeker Board of Trustees take seriously their roles in this process. Selecting the most qualified people to fill these openings is part of their jobs. The new Board Members should have actually been in the Meeker Library before coming in for an application. They should have had Library cards for more than a year, want to support the Library staff and programs. They need to have the desire to be informed and involved fiduciaries for our Public Library, and have the experience (or desire to learn) to be on the Board. There should be no question about how or why the new Board Members have been chosen. Someone’s gender, religious or political beliefs should not be deciding factors. Because someone is or isn’t a “man”, belongs to your church or political party or is your “friend” should not be a determining factor.
Hopefully, there will be a number of great candidates for these positions and the Rio Blanco County Commissioners and the Town Trustees will be willing to appoint the most qualified people to the Library Board.
Sincerely yours,
Jennifer Key
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Opinions expressed on these pages are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Herald Times.