Dumpsters filled with library books
Whitefish’s split from the Flathead
County Library System hit another round of turbulence last week
when Dumpsters at Pacific Steel and Recycling in Kalispell were
found filled three feet deep with library books.
The discovery left some questioning why
the county would throw out books that may still be useful to
others, including the soon to be established Whitefish Community
Library.
Community Library trustee Anne Moran
said she learned about the books in the Dumpsters when someone
called Whitefish City Attorney Mary VanBuskirk and reported seeing
a signed, first-edition Dorothy Johnson book in the trash bin.
Moran later went to the recycling center to see for herself and
found piles of other titles, including “Bobbsey Twins,” “Jimmy
Carter,” “Wallace Stevens” and “The Warren Commission Report.”
“They are classics,” Moran said. “It’s
a shame to shred books when people need them. It seems like a
terrible waste of taxpayer resources when all over our valley
smaller school, church and independent libraries are begging for
donated books to fill their shelves.”
Whitefish City Council member Phil
Mitchell was notified of the books last week. He personally went to
the site and picked up about 150-200 books. He is having them
looked at to see if they’re still useful.
Flathead County Library director Kim
Crowley told the Pilot that none of the books being recycled by the
county are from the Whitefish branch and that recycling books is a
regular part of collection maintenance.
“They are from other branches,” Crowley
said. “I know it’s hard for people to see books recycled. Everyone
has a great attachment to books. It’s an emotional thing when
people throw away books.”
She said the library sorts through old
books and decides whether to toss them or keep them based on
condition and whether or not the information is out of date.
“We have professional staff responsible
for our collections,” Crowley said. “Each selector is also in
charge of weeding out the collection, which we try to do on a
schedule.”
The books to be discarded are first
sorted through by knowledgeable collectors and sellers, she said.
Anything left over is then taken to the recycling center.
Mitchell questions why the county
didn’t bring these books to Whitefish “and let us make that
decision.” He presumes the discarded books were removed from other
branches to make room for books that will be moved from the
Whitefish branch when it transitions away from county control to an
independent library.
Moran agreed that some of the books
could have found a home.
“I’ll bet almost all of that Dumpster
collection would have been snapped up in a day or two by local
library patrons, had they been given the opportunity,” she
said.
The county started removing books from
the Whitefish branch last month and some empty shelves are now
evident in the children’s section. Crowley said they are following
the city’s plan for relocating materials.
As recommended, she said they will
leave all books donated to the Whitefish library by Whitefish
residents as a memorial or a gift, books and other items purchased
for the library by the Whitefish Community Center, books belonging
to the Whitefish city library prior to when it became part of the
county library system in 1976, and books that the county library
has multiple copies of and doesn’t need.
“As we go through the collection, we
flag these books in the database so we can easily see those items,”
Crowley said.
Other books that aren’t relocated to
other branches will be offered to the Whitefish Community Library
for a minimal charge, Crowley explained.
This relocation of items will be a slow
and gradual process, the county notes. About half the items now in
Whitefish will remain there once the county completes its
assessment and relocation effort.
The county will run the branch until
June 18. The Whitefish Community Library will assume operations on
July 1.