The current Calloway County Public Library (CCPL) board members, Winfield Rose, Joe Walker, and Mark Kennedy do not have the best interests for the library or community. Their immediate removal from the board is being demanded for the best interest of our community.

Background: The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives (KDLA) is "the state government agency whose mission is to support and promote access to library services and to ensure that documentation of government activities is created, preserved, and made available for public use" (KDLA Trustee Manual, p.1.). Ideally, public library board members should share in the mission, values, and ideals of the KDLA by supporting and promoting access to library services; however, in Calloway County that is not the case. For example, the previous board members had voted to expand the library. Yet, for undisclosed reasons to the public, shortly after this vote, numerous board members resigned, resulting in three new board members being appointed (all older white males, mind you even though numerous applications were filed by others that would have provided more diversity to this board), who reversed the decision to expand the library. This decision was made despite research and information provided that the library has funds to expand and is currently not in compliance with the KDLA standards to serve the 38,000 residents in Calloway County, which states, "a community of 25,000 residents or more should have a library that is at least 17,500 square feet, or 0.6 per capita." Our current library is slightly over 12,000 square feet.

This petition seeks to remove the current three new board members, Winfield Rose, Joe Walker, and Mark Kennedy, as they do not have the best interests of the library or community in mind with their decision-making. This is evident by not approving the library expansion to better serve our community, which is in direct violation of the Job Description for Public Library Trustees "3: Plan for the future of the library...responsible for seeing that the library provides the best possible service to its community" (KDLA Trustee Manual, p. 7). They also violate #5. Advocate for the library. Perfect example of this is none of them showed up for the CCPL fundraiser.

In addition, to these violations, the recent behavior of Rose and Kennedy screaming at a community member, Dr. Jennifer Morrison, while she was delivering her comments/questions/inquiries to the board, during the public comment portion of the August 8, 2018 board meeting, was inappropriate, demeaning, appalling, and completely unacceptable for board members of such an important community resource, like our library. No one ever deserves to be treated like Dr. Morrison endured. As such, immediate removal of these board members is demanded!