Shea dedicated to both library, community

I am writing to endorse Susan Shea for the East Bonner County Library board of trustees.

For the last six years, Susan Shea has been on the board of the East Bonner County Library. During that time, the library has provided multiple services without raising the budget, or our taxes, for the last five years.

In order to maintain the library atmosphere, offerings and fiscal stability, the board needs to remain intact. Take, for example, what happened to the North Idaho College. A simple change of board members threw a trusted institution into chaos, placing the college on the brink of losing accreditation.

Changing our library board members can lead to a similar situation. Board members can be a danger to an institution if they have a personal agenda rather than the well-being of the institution at their core. A situation where one person decides which materials can remain in the library, which materials must be removed, and which materials must be suppressed, restricted or moved to a secured area damages the mission and integrity of the library. The library board needs to have members such as Susan Shea, who have the best interests of the library at heart and will follow both the library mission and the recommendations of the American Library Association.

Susan Shea has demonstrated her commitment to the library and its mission during her last six years on the board. Re-elect Susan Shea to the board of trustees on Tuesday, May 16.

SHEILA McNULTY

Sandpoint