Flathead County Library Director Resigns Amid Board Meddling

The interim leader of Flathead County’s ImagineIF public library system resigned on Thursday, citing interference by a board of trustees that has devalued the institution by slashing salaries while entertaining motions to censor certain books and materials, particularly those that portray characters who are gay, queer or transgender.

After serving in the director position for just four months, yet dedicating 15 years to ImagineIF, Martha Furman resigned as the interim head of the library system, effective Dec. 10. Her departure marks the second time in six months that a director has resigned from the top post.

“I’m looking for new opportunities in a less stressful environment,” Furman told the Beacon following the four-hour-long board of trustees meeting on Dec. 2, when she made her resignation public before a above-capacity crowd in the library’s basement meeting room. “It’s been difficult because this board has really been trying to get its hands on the materials and the staff.”

In the wake of Furman’s resignation, the board discussed what steps could be taken to replace the vacant post. Over the summer, the board suspended the library’s succession plan to replace outgoing personnel. That plan would have placed senior librarian Sean Anderson as next in the chain of command.

Anderson, however, remains reluctant to assume the leadership role.

Read more: https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/12/02/flathead-county-library-director-resigns-amid-board-meddling/