New library board trustee saddened by reaction to appointment

ImagineIF’s newest trustee said she is saddened by the reaction to her appointment, but remains committed to supporting the library system and reaching out to critics.

The Flathead County Commission appointed Carmen Cuthbertson to the ImagineIF Library Board of Trustees on June 30, a decision that sparked backlash from community members and prompted the resignation of fellow Trustee Marsha Sultz. Cuthbertson was the first to challenge the book “Gender Queer,” which ignited a debate about what material is suitable for the library’s collections.

The Flathead County Library Alliance came out strongly against Cuthbertson’s candidacy prior to her appointment. Many in the crowd gathered in the commissioners’ meeting room for the decision audibly expressed their disapproval of the appointment.

Cuthbertson described Sultz’s decision to resign in response to her ascension “pretty sad.”

“Even if you disagree with people, if you feel that your point is valid, you would still want to be there and discuss and bring your input and I think it's kind of sad that she decided not to do that anymore,” Cuthbertson said.

Sultz put in her resignation after Thursday’s decision, stating that she was “disappointed” in the commissioner’s pick.

"I think she's a very divisive influence to the community and I just don't think the board is going to be heading in the right direction after this and I didn't want to be a part of that," Sultz said.

Cuthbertson doesn’t plan on bringing “Gender Queer” back up for review, because it’s up to patrons to challenge materials, not the Board of Trustees, she said.

“I don't think these things ever come from the board, as far as I know,” Cuthbertson said. “Because the process is for a member of the public to get that form and fill it out … It’s not the board's job, I understand, to go through the books and root around through the collection. I don't think that's something the board's doing,” Cuthbertson said.

She said if other books come up for review, she is primarily concerned about the presence of pornography — which she alleged was present in “Gender Queer.” The nonfiction novel follows the story of author Maia Kobabe — who uses the pronouns e, em and eir — and eir journey learning about gender identity. The memoir is not specifically aimed towards children, but Cuthbertson is concerned that it can be accessed by any patron of any age.

“There's a legal definition for porn and obscenity, and that's the kind of stuff I think would not be suitable,” she said. “Because you know, according to the librarians, anybody of any age can borrow any material anywhere in that library. So we have to be legal as far as exposing children to porn or obscenity or whatever those laws are.

Cutherbertson said she remained unsure if “Gender Queer” crossed obscenity law, which the Department of Justice defines as meeting a three-pronged test established by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Those prongs include whether a person applying “contemporary adult community standards” would find the material appealed to “prurient interests” or an unhealthy interest in nudity or sex. The individual also would need to determine whether the material depicts sexual conduct in a “patently offensive way.” Finally, the material would need to present no “literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”

“I actually don't know obscenity law and I don't have any real desire to deal with it,” Cuthbertson said. “But, my gut instinct about “Gender Queer” over a year ago was just that it’s pornographic. How can that be right? For children?”

Cuthbertson said she’s in support of the effort to give Bigfork a new library — a project that has been years in the making. Library trustees recently voted to accept the transfer agreement for the building the ImagineIF Foundation plans to renovate. She said she would like to see similar efforts for the Kalispell or Columbia Falls branches.

“I think it would be fantastic to have a bigger building [for Bigfork],” she said. “And I really wish the main branch could move somewhere more suitable as well, because the three stories make it really hard. … If we had a more modern one story, well-lit facility, I think that would help with several problems.”

The library has worked to address security issues after oversights on the second floor of the Kalispell branch have seen patrons allegedly engage in illegal activities, including drug use. New Library Director Ashley Cummins said in a recent interview with the Daily Inter Lake they have hired more people to better cover the second floor and recently asked for security cameras among other actions taken to ensure a safer environment for patrons.

Cuthbertson’s first priority is understanding the budget and looking at different ways they can fundraise for things like maintenance projects across all branches. She said with the understanding that funding can take a long time to make its way to the library, she is inspired by the fundraising efforts done by the ImagineIF Foundation.

“You know, if we could find a way to copy what the Foundation is doing with Bigfork right now and raise that much money for Columbia Falls and for Kalispell, that would be fantastic,” Cuthbertson said.

She said she would like to see them be able to fundraise for specific maintenance projects, like the bathroom remodels at the Kalispell branch, for example.

She said she plans to be transparent on the board and “continue to be very open about decisions.”

“Everything I have done from the time I've filed the complaint and spoken at various library board meetings — it has always been in public, wide open, nothing underhanded,” she said.

She said she wants to talk to people who disagree with her, adding that she doesn’t “see how we can solve any issues or find a compromise or solve a problem if we don't talk to each other.” She said she’s interested in discussing differences through conversation to come to an understanding.

“But if you're just wanting to hurl accusations and then you walk away, which people have done even yesterday at the meeting, you know that I can't have a conversation with you if you just walk away,” she said. “So that part's a bit frustrating, but maybe it will change.”