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THE ISSUE

Lancaster Countys two Republican commissioners on Tuesday appointed three newcomers to the Library System of Lancaster Countys board, opting not to reappoint two members, including the seven-member volunteer boards only professional librarian, LNP | LancasterOnlines Tom Lisi reported. In a 2-1 vote, with Democratic Commissioner Alice Yoder voting against, Commissioners Josh Parsons and Ray DAgostino declined to give new terms to librarian Alexandra Godfrey, of Lancaster city, and Cody Diehl, an Elizabethtown church leader and former health care administrator. ... In letters to the board of commissioners, the systems executive director, Karla Trout, had recommended that both members be reappointed.

Parsons and DAgostino seem intent on sowing division and chaos.

Why? Are they miffed because they were blamed for the dangerous threats directed at Lancaster Public Librarys planned Drag Queen Story Hour after they kicked up a fuss about it? Are they taking out their anger on the Library System of Lancaster County because the Lancaster library is one of its 14 members? Having easily won reelection in November, are they so confident about their place in the fiefdom of county government that theyve abandoned any pretense of working for the good of all county residents?

We have to wonder, because these library appointments were so brazenly contemptuous of both the library system and the many county residents who rely on it to function effectively.

The three new appointees approved last week are Theia Hofstetter of Elizabethtown; Lampeter-Strasburg School District board member Andrew Welk of West Lampeter Township; and unsuccessful Manheim Township School District board candidate Tess Vo Wallace.

The appointees seem already to be acquiescing to the code of silence imposed on Lancaster County government by the Republican commissioners. None of the three responded to requests from an LNP | LancasterOnline news reporter for comment.

Nonprofit boards are made up of all kinds of people whose paid work doesnt necessarily translate to the mission of the organization they oversee. So were not concerned about the day jobs of the new appointees. What concerns us is that Wallace and Hofstetter seem to be coming to the library system board with agendas.

As Lisi reported, Hofstetter in the past has called for banning from school libraries certain books that include sexual themes. Trying to justify child pornography in a book because the overall story has merit is like trying to justify taking a minor to a strip joint because the dancing has artistic value, Hofstetter said at an Elizabethtown Area School District meeting in February 2022.

No school library in Lancaster County offers books containing child pornography. Possessing or distributing child pornography is a crime.

But depicting books with sexual content as pornographic is a tactic of would-be book banners. Last year, Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams, a Republican, was forced to waste her time explaining why she would not file frivolous charges over several library books in the Hempfield School District.

Hofstetters language on this was ridiculous and inflammatory perhaps its not surprising then that Parsons and DAgostino chose her.

Wallace is a surgical nurse whose affiliation with a local Moms for Liberty private Facebook group came to light during her failed school board campaign. According to the worldview she has embraced on social media, pro-LGBTQ+ public policies are part of a global conspiracy aimed at erasing women and the biological reality of gender.

Welk is a real estate agent who, according to his resume, also has served as a firefighter and paramedic (we thank him for his public service). He donated $500 to DAgostinos reelection campaign last fall.

As Lisi reported, Parsons and DAgostino declined to say last Tuesday whether they had preexisting relationships with the prospective board members. Parsons only would say that they knew some applicants from around the community.

Thats not exactly reassuring, given that Parsons has been photographed in the past with members of the far-right antidemocratic group FreePA. In fact, a photo of a smiling Parsons, giving a double thumbs-up and flanked by FreePA activists, remains on that groups website.

Parsons and DAgostino also repeatedly declined to say whether close political allies should be appointed to local boards, Lisi reported.

We are all elected to implement certain policies, Parsons said.

What county commissioners are elected to do is to manage and administer county government and award contracts. And yes, their role includes naming citizens to boards, commissions and authorities, according to the county website.

Citizens, not partisan flamethrowers, such as Wallace and Hofstetter.

The county library system is a mostly behind-the-scenes organization that provides technology support to member libraries, as well as other centralized services, such as continuing education training, collective purchasing and negotiating vendor discounts.

Our concern is that these purposely divisive appointments are going to throw a wrench into the way the library system operates. Perhaps thats the goal. We truly hope it isnt.

So we ask this of the new appointees: Please behave like adults and work cooperatively for the good of this countys public libraries. Those libraries play an essential role in the lives of county residents who rely on them for educational enrichment, research, career development, internet access, their vast collections of books and their diverse array of events that connect community members with one another.

The library system board works to ensure that the county library infrastructure works smoothly. It does not deal in culture wars. The board member role demands pragmatism, not partisanship. So please seek cooperation, not controversy. The work shouldnt generate headlines, but its important.

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Library System of Lancaster County board doesn't traffic in culture wars. Partisan appointees should take heed. [editorial] - LNP | LancasterOnline