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Agenda Item
9. Recommendation to appoint one candidate from a pool of applicants including: Shauna Adams, Danielle Anders, Ilya Arbatman, Ron Aryel, Katherine Ayzengart, Kim Barghouti, Manny Becerra, Nicole Bell, Scott Benton, Paula L. Berkley, Ryan Bernardo, Bonnie Billings, Franco Biondi, Jessica Brown, Andrea Caldwell, Megan Cannella, Raymond Case, Frederick Clayton, Kate Crist, Reva Crump, Grace Davis, Heather Drew, Roger Edwards, Robert Ellis, Brian Erbis, Scott Ferguson, Scott Finley, Maria Flores, Noah Glick, Gordan Gossage, Mel Grotberg, Erica Hall, Jessica Hofmann, Wayne Holland, Naseem Jamnia, Rosemary Johnson, Megan Kay, Valieria T. Koss, Patricia Kress, Samual Lackey, Bradley Leavitt, Darla Lee, Timothy Lewis, Ed Lind, William Luikart, Jill Lynch, William Mason, Robbie Maus, Lesley Means, Krista Meier, Katelyn Miller, Olivia Nevarez-Salazar, Virginia A. Nolte, Patricia Olmstead, Melissa Olsen, Linda Park, Bruce Parks, Angeline Peterson, Peter Picetti, Ma'kayla Porter, Kelly Proud, William Puchert, Sharon Reardon, Luke Rippee, Judith Rodby, Marie Rodriguez, Tami Ruf, Christina Rutledge, Hagen Sandoval, Linda Schmitt, Roger Scime, William Sims, Monica Stabbert, Ryan Stark, Susan Stieg, Andre Stigall, Marvin Tanner, Geraldine F. Taylor, Tracey Thomas, Owen Truesdell, Charles Wellington II, Brooke Westlake, Kathleen Whitfield, Thomas Willadsen, Sylvia Willard, Nadienne Williams, Lloyd Wilson, Benjamin Zober, and Sara Zober to fill one midterm vacancy on the Washoe County Library Board of Trustees pursuant to NRS 379.020(3) beginning on April 1, 2024, and ending on June 30, 2025. Library. (All Commission Districts.) FOR POSSIBLE ACTION
Please choose a candidate who actively supports the library. Library board meetings should be a place of business, not a drama show for the public. Library trustees should be in support of the library. They should not be trying to defund the library and misinform the public about how the library is funded. They especially should not be trying to ban books.
A library board trustee should be coming up with ways that the library can continue to support their community. They should support diverse programming that actually represents their community.
Please be mindful of how the past library meetings have gone when choosing a new trustee.
I am writing to support Ryan Stark for the Library Board Position. He grew up in our community, attended Reno High, and was a fixture of the Reno poetry and art scene for many years. After a short stint out of state founding a successful coffee shop, he brought that business and his young family back to the city that he’s always loved. He is heavily involved in the local community and helped set up the Holland Project during its very beginnings. I honestly can’t think of a more compassionate, intelligent, and involved person to be on the board. He believes that the community has the right to access all information, not just the information certain individuals may or may not agree with.
I may not be able to make tomorrow's meeting, but wanted to thank you for considering my application for trustee. When I applied, I did so out of a deep concern about potential censorship happening in our public libraries but did not fully appreciate what the position entailed. Since then, I have learned much about the role of the board of trustees, which, above all, is about supporting the library and library staff in what they do best. Public libraries are crucial to our communities, and their board must be on the same team as the staff and director in order to offer community resources and support the freedom to read for all patrons. The board is not a battleground for bad actors—it should be full of members who are active library users who believe in what public libraries do, which—by nature of both programming and a wide-ranging and inclusive catalog—includes support for every member of our community no matter race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, citizenship status, houseless status, and disability. It is vital that our board is (excuse the bad pun) on board with our library staff and director so it may be a resource for all members of our community.
I write this not as a way to further my own application but, rather, to ask that the next trustee you choose show similar commitment and respect to our library system and the responsibilities laid out but the BOT bylaws. Unfortunately, our current chair of the board has made a mockery of the position, including texting during public comment, blatant disrespect of the library director and staff, and spreading of misinformation about the library expansion fund. Please choose a trustee who believes in the work of public libraries whole-heartedly. Please choose a trustee who will uphold the freedom to read and oppose censorship for everyone, but particularly children, who not only deserve to see themselves and their experiences in books, but also to see other experiences and broaden their worldviews. Our library system already does such an excellent job in curating their collection and programs—let's have a board that backs them.
I am a senior citizen and lifelong patron of the uncensored public library. I support the petition "Stand Together Against Censorship in Washoe County". I request you appoint someone who also supports this petition.
I am a Reno resident living in District 3. I am writing to ask you to please choose an appropriate candidate for the position on the Library Board of Trustees.
I am a library lover, and have been since I was a child. I am asking you to please appoint a candidate who is an active library user and supports the mission of the library. The candidate needs to be able to work with the library staff cooperatively and will advocate for the library system! I would love to see a trustee appointed who actively supports the library and library programing, who has a background in literacy, and who is ready to push back against attempts to ban books.
At minimum, I believe we need a library trustee who does not believe in or advocate for censorship! I want to see our library shelves populated with books by authors of all different backgrounds, with content of all different backgrounds. The library is a place to both see ourselves represented, and to learn about others!
I am writing in support of Angeline Peterson. Our new Trustee should be a patron of the Washoe County Library System who reads and borrows books and utilizes programming, such as Angeline. Angeline will not try to prohibit access to literature based on personally held beliefs and will work to increase access for all levels of readers on all topics. We urgently need a new trustee who will serve in the best interest of the community. Thank you.
Thank you for considering my application to the Library Board of Trustees. I wanted to add a few important things before tomorrow's meeting (I may not be able to make it in-person, unfortunately).
I am sure you can tell by many of the emails and comments you are receiving how deeply our community cares about this appointment and how strongly we all want the voice of reason to prevail in this decision. There seems to be so much confusion around what exactly the Trustee role entails. In the LBOT bylaws, there are many specific duties outlined, as others' comments and emails have no doubt emphasized, but, to summarize, the role of a Trustee is quite straightforward: support the library and its programs, ensuring the library is well-funded and reaches the widest possible communities and demographics. This also means working collaboratively and effectively with the Library Director, Library staff and the other Trustees.
Although I am a great candidate for the job, I do understand that the quantity of applicants makes your decision a difficult one. I am asking simply that you pick a Trustee that will dedicate their time and energy to making sure that the Library continues to thrive. Your last appointment, of Gianna Jacks, was ostensibly made to quell controversy around the Library and allow the Board of Trustees to get back to business. I think it is painfully clear that this has not happened, as Jacks has only stoked the fires of disagreement and disorder with her unprofessional and antagonistic behavior. Our next Trustee must be able to work with the Library and the community to strengthen shared values and find a path forward where the Library becomes, once again, a place of learning and togetherness, of pluralism and empathy.
I look forward to working with you all, as a Trustee or not, to navigate our community through these troubled times.
My name is Cathleen Trachok and I am a resident of Washoe County. I’m writing to you about to the upcoming appointment for another member of the County Library Board.
I urge you to appoint Tami Ruf. Tami earned her Library Media Specialist Credential from the Nevada Dept. of Education in 2010.
Her courses included Technology in the Library, Book Selection for Children, Bibliography and Reference, Cataloging and Organization of Library Materials, Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, and The History and Organization of Libraries. She had Supervised Library Practice at Hug High School and the Learning Resource Center at UNR. She understands the administration of the school library.
Tami is very qualified for the Library Board of Trustees. Given her education and background, I think she is the perfect candidate
for the position.
As I cannot appear in person today, due to being out of town, I am writing regarding my continued interest in serving on the Washoe County Library Board of Trustees.
I submitted my original application last year. And though not selected during the last process, I have followed the meetings closely. Trustee Clark, last summer, you took the time to approach me and encouraged me to continue applying for boards. Here I am.
When I say books are my life, it is not an exaggeration. As a published writer of four novels, I am an active member of the literary community. I belong to the Sierra Arts Foundation’s Sierra Arts Literary Community. I’m also a part of the Northern Nevada Writers Group.
As a member of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory Board and the Reno Arts & Culture Commission, I am familiar with open meeting law.
The position on any public board is one of service, duty, and commitment to community. As a Reno Police Department employee, I practice these values every day on my job.
As a Hispanic woman, I am fluent in Spanish and have an understanding of the culture. I feel this is a quality that would benefit the current board.
Importantly, my personal schedule and employment will allow me to be present and prepared at the meetings and any other functions and duties as required
Much of my work history, including my current employment of working with a patrol unit, has taught me how to work with others, as a team, to achieve a common goal.
I am writing to support the appointment of Tami Ruff to the Washoe County Library Board of Directors.
A public library is for everyone in our county and in your district. No one is forced to read books and no one has the right to force others to not read books. We need a thriving library system dedicated to the mission that every library is to be an open and inviting place where patrons of all ages can access information for personal growth and happiness.
I strongly urge you to appoint Tami Ruf to the Washoe County Library Board. Her qualifications are outstanding:
• She earned her Library Media Specialist Credential from the Nevada Dept. of Education in 2010.
• Courses included Technology in the Library, Book Selection for Children, Bibliography and Reference, Cataloging and Organization of Library Materials, Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, The History and Organization of Libraries
• Supervised Library Practice (internship in a library setting – hers was at Hug High School and the Learning Resource Center on the UNR campus)
• Administration of the School Library
Based upon what I have read and heard from people I admire, Tami has the professional and personal skills to add value to the Library Board and is uniquely qualified to serve in this position.
- She is an effective communicator and active listener: skills that she has refined over her 20 years as a teacher in the Washoe County School District and as a librarian at North Valleys High School for six years.
- She values the importance of books and our library system: She is familiar with the structure of our library system
- She is an avid reader and passionate about books! So passionate that she actually hosted a podcast for a few years. She is passionate about connecting people to books.
- And perhaps most importantly, she exudes compassion and grace-traits we desperately need in our world and civic spaces.
I urge the Board of Trustees to appoint a new Trustee at this meeting. Many months have passed without filling this empty vacancy, much to the detriment of our community. Our newest Trustee should be a patron of the Washoe County Library System, who not only reads and borrows books from our libraries, but who also utilizes library programming. We need a trustee who can work collaboratively with the Director, Jeff Scott, and Library staff to put the best interests of our community at the forefront of every discussion. We need a trustee who is not trying to prohibit access to literature based on personally held beliefs, but who wants to increase access for all levels of readers on all topics.
The longer we limp along with a partial Board of Trustees who are not working together in the best interest of Washoe County citizens, the worse the outcomes will be. Washoe County's literacy rate is hovering around 50% and finding solutions for raising those rates should be the number one concern. We need our Washoe County Library Board of Trustees to put their personal motives aside and advocate for the community they serve.
I strongly urge the Board to consider a candidate who will work cooperatively with the Library Director and staff, rather than working against them. An ideal candidate will support ALL library users regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This support is actionable by encouraging diverse books and programming throughout the Washoe County Library System (WCLS) and resisting censorship efforts.
As a former informal educator and current graduate student of social work, I recognize the invaluable benefits of accessible resources and services, including those provided by WCLS. The appointed trustee should be a staunch advocate for the diverse population that they serve, helping to advance existing inclusivity efforts instead of stifling them.
Please select a new library board member who is a passionate supporter of libraries and librarians and who will advocate for the library system and for the expansion fund. Please select a candidate who is an active library user and who supports maintaining a diversity of books and programing at the libraries. Thank you.
Please select a candidate who will advocate for the library expansion fund keeping our libraries funded.
I ask that you not select a candidate who will attempt to limit access to information based on their personal views on content they do not like or agree with. The library should contain content for all points of view, meaning everyone can find things which support their views as well as things which do not.
Esteemed County Commissioners: would you ever hire a public safety officer who doesn't believe in public safety? Would you hire a public school teacher who makes no secret of their disdain for children? How about a firefighter who's pro-arson? The resounding answer to all three is "Of course not." So by that same reasoning: why on Earth would you hire a library trustee who doesn't believe in any of a library's higher purposes? Or who doesn't even use the library with any regularity?
That is the ultimate question before you today. I am a library staff member with almost 19 years of experience working for the Washoe County Library System. I submit this comment to you today on my own time, and I urge you to choose an LBOT appointee with the appropriate bona fides for the important job at hand. I support a candidate who will work with our Library Director and his employees, not against them; who will continually fight for funding our libraries to meet the needs of every one of our patrons; who abides by the Library Bill of Rights; who believes in intellectual freedom and the First Amendment; and who truly believes that libraries are for everyone.
Several of the applicants for this board position are unworthy of your time and serious consideration. These individuals represent a tiny (albeit vocal) minority in Washoe County, who wish to impose their deeply unpopular beliefs on to the rest of us. They believe in censoring anything and everything that doesn't conform to their narrow views; that anyone who doesn't share their views is un-American; and that the threat of violence is permissible -- even necessary -- to silence anyone who opposes them. Catering to these whims with this appointment would set a terrible precedent from which there would be no return.
I love my job as a library staff member, and I love serving our community in our libraries. I urge you to use this opportunity to appoint a competent, skilled official who believes in libraries and their mission, not a bad faith culture warrior more interested in bomb-throwing and saber-rattling than actual public service. You have a chance to tip the balance of power back in favor of reason and sanity. Please use it well.
Please select a candidate for the library board who is an active library user and who will support the libraries. We need someone who believes in the mission of our libraries, which is "to connect people with information, ideas and experiences to support an enriched and engaged community, one person at a time."
We need a trustee who understands the role of a library trustee as described in the library BOT bylaws, is willing to abide by the library trustee Statement of Responsibility (in the BOT manual), and is willing to complete the training outlined in the State of Nevada Library Trustee Training Manual.
Please choose a candidate who will work cooperatively with the library Director and staff and will advocate for the library to the public and to elected officials. Please select a candidate who will advocate for the library expansion fund, and work to keep our libraries funded beyond 2024.
We need a new library board member who will support all Washoe County Library users, including people of different races, ethnicities, national origins, sexual orientations, and gender identities. If a candidate is not willing to support a group of library users, I ask that you not select them for the BOT.
I support Kate Whitfield, Tami Ruf and Noah Glick for the Library bord. These 3 people are well qualified to be on the Washoe County Library board to represent us.
I am writing to support Tami Ruf, Megan Cannella, and Ilya Arbatman for the board. All three are excellently involved in the Reno community and have shown a deep passion for protecting the library and ensuring the free access of information. These three all have verifiable experience in either education, books & publishing, leadership, and libraries, which I think makes more then qualified.
I would also recommend against candidates who profess a clear intent to limit information on religious grounds. This is antithetical to our constitutional values and such a candidate is not someone I trust to respect people's freedom to read or their freedom from and/or of religion.
Reno's population is a plurality of thought, beliefs, peoples and our Trustees should come to represent that in practice.
Please choose a candidate who actively supports the library. Library board meetings should be a place of business, not a drama show for the public. Library trustees should be in support of the library. They should not be trying to defund the library and misinform the public about how the library is funded. They especially should not be trying to ban books.
A library board trustee should be coming up with ways that the library can continue to support their community. They should support diverse programming that actually represents their community.
Please be mindful of how the past library meetings have gone when choosing a new trustee.
I am writing to support Ryan Stark for the Library Board Position. He grew up in our community, attended Reno High, and was a fixture of the Reno poetry and art scene for many years. After a short stint out of state founding a successful coffee shop, he brought that business and his young family back to the city that he’s always loved. He is heavily involved in the local community and helped set up the Holland Project during its very beginnings. I honestly can’t think of a more compassionate, intelligent, and involved person to be on the board. He believes that the community has the right to access all information, not just the information certain individuals may or may not agree with.
To the commissioners,
I may not be able to make tomorrow's meeting, but wanted to thank you for considering my application for trustee. When I applied, I did so out of a deep concern about potential censorship happening in our public libraries but did not fully appreciate what the position entailed. Since then, I have learned much about the role of the board of trustees, which, above all, is about supporting the library and library staff in what they do best. Public libraries are crucial to our communities, and their board must be on the same team as the staff and director in order to offer community resources and support the freedom to read for all patrons. The board is not a battleground for bad actors—it should be full of members who are active library users who believe in what public libraries do, which—by nature of both programming and a wide-ranging and inclusive catalog—includes support for every member of our community no matter race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, citizenship status, houseless status, and disability. It is vital that our board is (excuse the bad pun) on board with our library staff and director so it may be a resource for all members of our community.
I write this not as a way to further my own application but, rather, to ask that the next trustee you choose show similar commitment and respect to our library system and the responsibilities laid out but the BOT bylaws. Unfortunately, our current chair of the board has made a mockery of the position, including texting during public comment, blatant disrespect of the library director and staff, and spreading of misinformation about the library expansion fund. Please choose a trustee who believes in the work of public libraries whole-heartedly. Please choose a trustee who will uphold the freedom to read and oppose censorship for everyone, but particularly children, who not only deserve to see themselves and their experiences in books, but also to see other experiences and broaden their worldviews. Our library system already does such an excellent job in curating their collection and programs—let's have a board that backs them.
Naseem Jamnia
I am a senior citizen and lifelong patron of the uncensored public library. I support the petition "Stand Together Against Censorship in Washoe County". I request you appoint someone who also supports this petition.
Hello,
I am a Reno resident living in District 3. I am writing to ask you to please choose an appropriate candidate for the position on the Library Board of Trustees.
I am a library lover, and have been since I was a child. I am asking you to please appoint a candidate who is an active library user and supports the mission of the library. The candidate needs to be able to work with the library staff cooperatively and will advocate for the library system! I would love to see a trustee appointed who actively supports the library and library programing, who has a background in literacy, and who is ready to push back against attempts to ban books.
At minimum, I believe we need a library trustee who does not believe in or advocate for censorship! I want to see our library shelves populated with books by authors of all different backgrounds, with content of all different backgrounds. The library is a place to both see ourselves represented, and to learn about others!
Rosanna (Rosie) Zuckerman
I am writing in support of Angeline Peterson. Our new Trustee should be a patron of the Washoe County Library System who reads and borrows books and utilizes programming, such as Angeline. Angeline will not try to prohibit access to literature based on personally held beliefs and will work to increase access for all levels of readers on all topics. We urgently need a new trustee who will serve in the best interest of the community. Thank you.
Commissioners,
Thank you for considering my application to the Library Board of Trustees. I wanted to add a few important things before tomorrow's meeting (I may not be able to make it in-person, unfortunately).
I am sure you can tell by many of the emails and comments you are receiving how deeply our community cares about this appointment and how strongly we all want the voice of reason to prevail in this decision. There seems to be so much confusion around what exactly the Trustee role entails. In the LBOT bylaws, there are many specific duties outlined, as others' comments and emails have no doubt emphasized, but, to summarize, the role of a Trustee is quite straightforward: support the library and its programs, ensuring the library is well-funded and reaches the widest possible communities and demographics. This also means working collaboratively and effectively with the Library Director, Library staff and the other Trustees.
Although I am a great candidate for the job, I do understand that the quantity of applicants makes your decision a difficult one. I am asking simply that you pick a Trustee that will dedicate their time and energy to making sure that the Library continues to thrive. Your last appointment, of Gianna Jacks, was ostensibly made to quell controversy around the Library and allow the Board of Trustees to get back to business. I think it is painfully clear that this has not happened, as Jacks has only stoked the fires of disagreement and disorder with her unprofessional and antagonistic behavior. Our next Trustee must be able to work with the Library and the community to strengthen shared values and find a path forward where the Library becomes, once again, a place of learning and togetherness, of pluralism and empathy.
I look forward to working with you all, as a Trustee or not, to navigate our community through these troubled times.
Ilya Arbatman
My name is Cathleen Trachok and I am a resident of Washoe County. I’m writing to you about to the upcoming appointment for another member of the County Library Board.
I urge you to appoint Tami Ruf. Tami earned her Library Media Specialist Credential from the Nevada Dept. of Education in 2010.
Her courses included Technology in the Library, Book Selection for Children, Bibliography and Reference, Cataloging and Organization of Library Materials, Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, and The History and Organization of Libraries. She had Supervised Library Practice at Hug High School and the Learning Resource Center at UNR. She understands the administration of the school library.
Tami is very qualified for the Library Board of Trustees. Given her education and background, I think she is the perfect candidate
for the position.
Thank you for keeping my application of file. Should I be chosen to serve this 1+ year term, I would serve with enthusiasm and humility.
Susan Stieg
E-COMMENT
March 19, 2024 – Agenda item 9
Marie Rodriguez, for the record.
As I cannot appear in person today, due to being out of town, I am writing regarding my continued interest in serving on the Washoe County Library Board of Trustees.
I submitted my original application last year. And though not selected during the last process, I have followed the meetings closely. Trustee Clark, last summer, you took the time to approach me and encouraged me to continue applying for boards. Here I am.
When I say books are my life, it is not an exaggeration. As a published writer of four novels, I am an active member of the literary community. I belong to the Sierra Arts Foundation’s Sierra Arts Literary Community. I’m also a part of the Northern Nevada Writers Group.
As a member of the Ward 3 Neighborhood Advisory Board and the Reno Arts & Culture Commission, I am familiar with open meeting law.
The position on any public board is one of service, duty, and commitment to community. As a Reno Police Department employee, I practice these values every day on my job.
As a Hispanic woman, I am fluent in Spanish and have an understanding of the culture. I feel this is a quality that would benefit the current board.
Importantly, my personal schedule and employment will allow me to be present and prepared at the meetings and any other functions and duties as required
Much of my work history, including my current employment of working with a patrol unit, has taught me how to work with others, as a team, to achieve a common goal.
Thank you.
I am writing to support the appointment of Tami Ruff to the Washoe County Library Board of Directors.
A public library is for everyone in our county and in your district. No one is forced to read books and no one has the right to force others to not read books. We need a thriving library system dedicated to the mission that every library is to be an open and inviting place where patrons of all ages can access information for personal growth and happiness.
I strongly urge you to appoint Tami Ruf to the Washoe County Library Board. Her qualifications are outstanding:
• She earned her Library Media Specialist Credential from the Nevada Dept. of Education in 2010.
• Courses included Technology in the Library, Book Selection for Children, Bibliography and Reference, Cataloging and Organization of Library Materials, Selection and Acquisition of Library Materials, The History and Organization of Libraries
• Supervised Library Practice (internship in a library setting – hers was at Hug High School and the Learning Resource Center on the UNR campus)
• Administration of the School Library
Based upon what I have read and heard from people I admire, Tami has the professional and personal skills to add value to the Library Board and is uniquely qualified to serve in this position.
- She is an effective communicator and active listener: skills that she has refined over her 20 years as a teacher in the Washoe County School District and as a librarian at North Valleys High School for six years.
- She values the importance of books and our library system: She is familiar with the structure of our library system
- She is an avid reader and passionate about books! So passionate that she actually hosted a podcast for a few years. She is passionate about connecting people to books.
- And perhaps most importantly, she exudes compassion and grace-traits we desperately need in our world and civic spaces.
I urge the Board of Trustees to appoint a new Trustee at this meeting. Many months have passed without filling this empty vacancy, much to the detriment of our community. Our newest Trustee should be a patron of the Washoe County Library System, who not only reads and borrows books from our libraries, but who also utilizes library programming. We need a trustee who can work collaboratively with the Director, Jeff Scott, and Library staff to put the best interests of our community at the forefront of every discussion. We need a trustee who is not trying to prohibit access to literature based on personally held beliefs, but who wants to increase access for all levels of readers on all topics.
The longer we limp along with a partial Board of Trustees who are not working together in the best interest of Washoe County citizens, the worse the outcomes will be. Washoe County's literacy rate is hovering around 50% and finding solutions for raising those rates should be the number one concern. We need our Washoe County Library Board of Trustees to put their personal motives aside and advocate for the community they serve.
I strongly urge the Board to consider a candidate who will work cooperatively with the Library Director and staff, rather than working against them. An ideal candidate will support ALL library users regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This support is actionable by encouraging diverse books and programming throughout the Washoe County Library System (WCLS) and resisting censorship efforts.
As a former informal educator and current graduate student of social work, I recognize the invaluable benefits of accessible resources and services, including those provided by WCLS. The appointed trustee should be a staunch advocate for the diverse population that they serve, helping to advance existing inclusivity efforts instead of stifling them.
I support the petition "Stand Together Against Censorship in Washoe County". I request you appoint someone who also supports this petition.
Please select a new library board member who is a passionate supporter of libraries and librarians and who will advocate for the library system and for the expansion fund. Please select a candidate who is an active library user and who supports maintaining a diversity of books and programing at the libraries. Thank you.
Please select a candidate who will advocate for the library expansion fund keeping our libraries funded.
I ask that you not select a candidate who will attempt to limit access to information based on their personal views on content they do not like or agree with. The library should contain content for all points of view, meaning everyone can find things which support their views as well as things which do not.
Esteemed County Commissioners: would you ever hire a public safety officer who doesn't believe in public safety? Would you hire a public school teacher who makes no secret of their disdain for children? How about a firefighter who's pro-arson? The resounding answer to all three is "Of course not." So by that same reasoning: why on Earth would you hire a library trustee who doesn't believe in any of a library's higher purposes? Or who doesn't even use the library with any regularity?
That is the ultimate question before you today. I am a library staff member with almost 19 years of experience working for the Washoe County Library System. I submit this comment to you today on my own time, and I urge you to choose an LBOT appointee with the appropriate bona fides for the important job at hand. I support a candidate who will work with our Library Director and his employees, not against them; who will continually fight for funding our libraries to meet the needs of every one of our patrons; who abides by the Library Bill of Rights; who believes in intellectual freedom and the First Amendment; and who truly believes that libraries are for everyone.
Several of the applicants for this board position are unworthy of your time and serious consideration. These individuals represent a tiny (albeit vocal) minority in Washoe County, who wish to impose their deeply unpopular beliefs on to the rest of us. They believe in censoring anything and everything that doesn't conform to their narrow views; that anyone who doesn't share their views is un-American; and that the threat of violence is permissible -- even necessary -- to silence anyone who opposes them. Catering to these whims with this appointment would set a terrible precedent from which there would be no return.
I love my job as a library staff member, and I love serving our community in our libraries. I urge you to use this opportunity to appoint a competent, skilled official who believes in libraries and their mission, not a bad faith culture warrior more interested in bomb-throwing and saber-rattling than actual public service. You have a chance to tip the balance of power back in favor of reason and sanity. Please use it well.
Thank you.
Please select a candidate for the library board who is an active library user and who will support the libraries. We need someone who believes in the mission of our libraries, which is "to connect people with information, ideas and experiences to support an enriched and engaged community, one person at a time."
We need a trustee who understands the role of a library trustee as described in the library BOT bylaws, is willing to abide by the library trustee Statement of Responsibility (in the BOT manual), and is willing to complete the training outlined in the State of Nevada Library Trustee Training Manual.
Please choose a candidate who will work cooperatively with the library Director and staff and will advocate for the library to the public and to elected officials. Please select a candidate who will advocate for the library expansion fund, and work to keep our libraries funded beyond 2024.
We need a new library board member who will support all Washoe County Library users, including people of different races, ethnicities, national origins, sexual orientations, and gender identities. If a candidate is not willing to support a group of library users, I ask that you not select them for the BOT.
I support Kate Whitfield, Tami Ruf and Noah Glick for the Library bord. These 3 people are well qualified to be on the Washoe County Library board to represent us.
I am writing to support Tami Ruf, Megan Cannella, and Ilya Arbatman for the board. All three are excellently involved in the Reno community and have shown a deep passion for protecting the library and ensuring the free access of information. These three all have verifiable experience in either education, books & publishing, leadership, and libraries, which I think makes more then qualified.
I would also recommend against candidates who profess a clear intent to limit information on religious grounds. This is antithetical to our constitutional values and such a candidate is not someone I trust to respect people's freedom to read or their freedom from and/or of religion.
Reno's population is a plurality of thought, beliefs, peoples and our Trustees should come to represent that in practice.