The Boulder Public Library District’s Board of Trustees is supporting the recommendation by City of Boulder officials to transfer ownership of the city’s libraries over to the newly formed district, rather than renting the buildings from the city.
In a recent letter to the Boulder City Council, the trustees said that Colorado law has safeguards to ensure buildings are not mismanaged — including giving the city councilmembers final say over who serves as a trustee.
Moreover, the trustees said, owning the buildings makes it easier to finance maintenance and renovations. They also said a future city council may decide to not renew a leasing agreement, a possibility that could prevent the district from doing long-term planning.
“Finally, the Board of Trustees notes that false narratives were circulated during last year’s election campaign claiming that library districts are irresponsible or not to be trusted in managing our community’s beloved library system,” the letter states. “Instead, they are strictly managed and controlled under the Colorado Library Law with volunteer Trustees appointed specifically because of their love of libraries and all they can accomplish in a community.”
Councilmembers on Thursday will weigh in on the city’s negotiations with the district’s Board of Trustees. For more on the intergovernmental agreement, see our prior reporting.
Do you have a link to the letter that was sent to council?
Yes, it is here –> https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23976579-council-communication-response-final-00686042xc440a?responsive=1&title=1 — BRL editors
Thank you.