It's not library's place to rehabilitate offender

I have been deeply troubled by recent actions taken by the library director. This decision and others made by Wayne Gunter have been of grave concern to me, and I feel that I no longer have confidence in his judgment, nor can I support his vision for the library.

I do not want to be part of a board which does not hold the director accountable in a tangible way for his actions. It is with deep regret that I offered my resignation as library trustee to Susan Moore, the board's chair, effective Dec. 19.

The community became aware recently that the director oversaw the hiring of a registered sex offender, a duty, by the way, that trustees do not participate in. Hiring and firing of staff is a function entirely overseen by the director. Many patrons privately and publicly were appalled by this and grave concerns were raised by many which I happened to share.

The issue was on the agenda for the December board meeting. It was unfortunate that Mr. Gunter was unable to attend this very important meeting due to a sudden illness. The trustees were left to answer questions from the public and were thrust into the position of being held accountable for the actions taken by someone else.

I couldn't help but feel that those in favor of hiring Ms. Lutes were missing the bigger point. It's not about second chances or that she was "the most qualified person for the job," but that the library is not the place to rehabilitate a person back into society with this type of criminal record. Libraries are as synonymous with children as are banking institutions with handling money. I would doubt that banks hire convicted bank robbers or embezzlers for a second chance. Why would the library director think it alright to hire a registered sex offender?I know that my resignation will come as a shock and disappointment to many and with happiness and a sense of relief to get rid of me by others. It isn't easy when a person is thrust into a position to challenge the status quo and ask the tough questions when trying to gather information that will help them make important decisions that affect the library and its future.

I would like to offer my sincere gratitude and apologies for my early departure to patrons, the staff members who supported me and members of The Friends of The Library who have offered me encouragement and their friendship during my almost three years serving the public as trustee.

I will continue to support and promote our "community gathering place," but at this time I feel I would be more effective and a better advocate for the library outside the confines of back room politics.

KARLA PETERMANN

Sandpoint