Library Board Meeting - June 6, 2024

Mountain Home Library Board of Trustees held its regular meeting on June 6th, 2024. Trustees Laurel Waters, Priscilla Sisson, and Carlotta McCarthy, along with Vice Chair Daniel Mercado, and Secretary/Treasurer Christina Mattern were present at the meeting. Library Director Shasta Hochstrasser, Library Liaison Scott Harjo, and City Attorney Geoff Schroeder were also in attendance.

The meeting began with the approval of the minutes of the May 2, 2024 meeting, followed by the approval of the April and May 2024 bills. The consent agenda and bills were approved as presented.

During the meeting, City Attorney Geoff Schroeder addressed the Library Board concerning HB 710. He explained the implications of the bill and clarified that the burden of showing that materials meet the definition of harmful to minors is upon the person making the request. The library is not required to proactively demonstrate that materials do not meet the definition as per I.C. 18-1514(6) as amended.

Because the definition of “harmful to minors” includes reference to prevailing standards in the adult community and contemporary community standards, it is within the library board’s authority to restrict requests for review of its materials to members of the library’s community.

Once a request is received from a patron/resident of the library’s jurisdiction (City of Mountain Home) and the request factually makes a case that the material: 1 - meets the definition and 2 - has been made available to minors, the library has 60 days to either deny the request or certify that the material is either removed altogether or is placed in an area not accessible to minors.

The text does not specify the specific editing updates that need to be made to the drafted policy concerning HB 710., Vice Chair Mercado motioned to table this item until the policy has been updated and approved by the city attorney before the board can approve it. Director Hochstarasser reminded the Board that it needs to be approved before July 1. A special meeting is scheduled for June 20 at 5 pm.

Carlotta McCarthy was approved by the City Council and will complete the remained of Jake Aplins’ term.

There was a motion to approve a summer intern position using the grant amount of $1500 that has been allocated to the intern recipient in previous years. Trustee Waters made a motion to approve the library fringe to cover the cost of payroll and the entire grant amount to be allotted to the summer intern recipient.

The library had 560 individuals ages 0-18 register for the Summer Reading Program, with 326 signing up in the first three days