Assembly Votes to Create Borough Library Committee

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly has approved the formation of a new advisory committee to review challenges to materials in borough libraries.

The assembly heard about ninety minutes of testimony from the public about the potential committee. Opinions among those who spoke were split evenly between those opposed to and in support of the ordinance.

After testimony concluded, the assembly amended the ordinance to allow for public testimony at the committee’s meetings. In addition to written testimony, members of the public will be allowed to speak for up to two minutes at meetings.

The new committee comes after Borough Manager Mike Brown put the existing challenged materials process on hold. The January meeting of the existing committee, which is composed of borough staff, devolved into what Brown called a shouting match.

The new committee will include seven members who will be appointed by the mayor. Two alternate members will also be chosen, though they would only vote on recommendations in the event a full member of the committee is absent from a meeting.

The committee will use a scorecard to make recommendations about what should be done with challenged materials.  At Tuesday’s assembly meeting, Manager Brown said borough staff is working on drafting that scorecard.

The role of the new committee will be purely advisory.  The final decision regarding challenged library materials will be up to the director of the borough’s Community Development Department.