Dumpsters filled with library books

Whitefish’s split from the Flathead

County Library System hit another round of turbulence last week

when Dumpsters at Pacific Steel and Recycling in Kalispell were

found filled three feet deep with library books.

The discovery left some questioning why

the county would throw out books that may still be useful to

others, including the soon to be established Whitefish Community

Library.

Community Library trustee Anne Moran

said she learned about the books in the Dumpsters when someone

called Whitefish City Attorney Mary VanBuskirk and reported seeing

a signed, first-edition Dorothy Johnson book in the trash bin.

Moran later went to the recycling center to see for herself and

found piles of other titles, including “Bobbsey Twins,” “Jimmy

Carter,” “Wallace Stevens” and “The Warren Commission Report.”

“They are classics,” Moran said. “It’s

a shame to shred books when people need them. It seems like a

terrible waste of taxpayer resources when all over our valley

smaller school, church and independent libraries are begging for

donated books to fill their shelves.”

Whitefish City Council member Phil

Mitchell was notified of the books last week. He personally went to

the site and picked up about 150-200 books. He is having them

looked at to see if they’re still useful.

Flathead County Library director Kim

Crowley told the Pilot that none of the books being recycled by the

county are from the Whitefish branch and that recycling books is a

regular part of collection maintenance.

“They are from other branches,” Crowley

said. “I know it’s hard for people to see books recycled. Everyone

has a great attachment to books. It’s an emotional thing when

people throw away books.”

She said the library sorts through old

books and decides whether to toss them or keep them based on

condition and whether or not the information is out of date.

“We have professional staff responsible

for our collections,” Crowley said. “Each selector is also in

charge of weeding out the collection, which we try to do on a

schedule.”

The books to be discarded are first

sorted through by knowledgeable collectors and sellers, she said.

Anything left over is then taken to the recycling center.

Mitchell questions why the county

didn’t bring these books to Whitefish “and let us make that

decision.” He presumes the discarded books were removed from other

branches to make room for books that will be moved from the

Whitefish branch when it transitions away from county control to an

independent library.

Moran agreed that some of the books

could have found a home.

“I’ll bet almost all of that Dumpster

collection would have been snapped up in a day or two by local

library patrons, had they been given the opportunity,” she

said. 

The county started removing books from

the Whitefish branch last month and some empty shelves are now

evident in the children’s section. Crowley said they are following

the city’s plan for relocating materials.

As recommended, she said they will

leave all books donated to the Whitefish library by Whitefish

residents as a memorial or a gift, books and other items purchased

for the library by the Whitefish Community Center, books belonging

to the Whitefish city library prior to when it became part of the

county library system in 1976, and books that the county library

has multiple copies of and doesn’t need.

“As we go through the collection, we

flag these books in the database so we can easily see those items,”

Crowley said.

Other books that aren’t relocated to

other branches will be offered to the Whitefish Community Library

for a minimal charge, Crowley explained.

This relocation of items will be a slow

and gradual process, the county notes. About half the items now in

Whitefish will remain there once the county completes its

assessment and relocation effort.

The county will run the branch until

June 18. The Whitefish Community Library will assume operations on

July 1.