Library stories

I was stunned to read comments attributed to Flathead County Library Board and director Kim Crowley published in the July 1 Whitefish Pilot. Stunned, but not surprised. During my tenure as a Whitefish librarian, we were often subjected to unprofessional tirades from Kalispell branch administration.

For the Flathead County Library Board's report to Whitefish's City Council concerning library independence to state that Whitefish Library Association volunteers encourage the branch manager to "disregard management requests or decisions and be uncooperative" is paranoid and untrue.

Miss Crowley spends less than one hour per month at the Whitefish library during public hours; board members zero. They could not possibly have first-hand knowledge of such ludicrous accusations.

The Library Board is also reported as insinuating the Whitefish branch is unwelcoming and indifferent to teen and children's programming. Such a statement is reprehensible, ridiculous and wrong.

Genuine issues of equitable funding and autonomous standing merit public debate. Unsubstantiated opinion has no place in the process.

Susan Madler

Whitefish