'We are not looking to ban books.' Anderson County Council adds members to library board

Travis Jacque Rose, Anderson Independent Mail
Updated ·2 min read

Anderson County Council gave final approval Tuesday to expand the public library board from seven to nine members, with two new at-large seats.

The current members are District One Elaine Stoll (Chair), District Two Pinkey Rinnix, District Three Frances Saville (Secretary/Treasurer), District Four Nicole Davenport (V-Chair), District Five Angela Dixon, District Six Wendy Tucker, District 7 Sara Crocker, and Library Director Annie Sutton.

Anderson County Council members from each district appoint trustees.

Each board member serves for four years and can serve no more than two consecutive terms.

Anderson County Council, from left, John Wright, Jr., Cindy Wilson, Chairman Tommy Dunn, Glenn Davis, and Brett Sanders, during the Special Presentation Meeting with the Anderson County Council in the Historic Courthouse in Downtown Anderson, S.C. Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
Anderson County Council, from left, John Wright, Jr., Cindy Wilson, Chairman Tommy Dunn, Glenn Davis, and Brett Sanders, during the Special Presentation Meeting with the Anderson County Council in the Historic Courthouse in Downtown Anderson, S.C. Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

The council is authorized to appoint library board members but cannot dismiss them from their positions under state law.

"The Library Board of Trustees can consist of up to 11 members," said County Councilman Brett Sanders in a video posted on Anderson County's YouTube page. "I would like to see two younger and diverse individuals installed."

Anderson County will begin accepting applications for the board of trustees starting this week, according to Sanders. "Anyone can apply to serve on the library board."

Some residents opposed to adding new members

Some residents argued that adding new members would politicize the board into banning certain books from the library.

Dr. Ernest Mackins of Anderson looks over what he wants to say during the Anderson County Council in the Historic Courthouse in Downtown Anderson, S.C. Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Mackins and others were present for the third reading of an ordinance, 2024-010, "An Ordinance to amend second 28-48 of the Code of Ordinances, Anderson County, South Carolina, to provide for two at-large members to the Anderson County Library Board of Trustees: and other matters related thereto," with public hearing three minute limit. The ordinance already passed two readings in earlier meetings.

"Adding additional board members for the wrong reason is problematic," said Anderson resident Dr. Ernest M. Mackins in an Anderson Observer YouTube video of the meeting. "Our children should be given every opportunity to read. If you censor books, you censor our children's right to learn and grow."

"We are not looking to ban books," said Sanders in the county's YouTube video. "There is a place for certain reading materials. There is no agenda or intention behind it."

Anderson District Seven resident Andy Cocosua said on the Anderson Observer's YouTube page that he supported the idea of adding two members to the library board.

A crowd gathers before the Anderson County Council meeting in the Historic Courthouse in Downtown Anderson, S.C. Tuesday, March 5, 2024. One of the ordinances, 2024-010, "An Ordinance to amend second 28-48 of the Code of Ordinances, Anderson County, South Carolina, to provide for two at-large members to the Anderson County Library Board of Trustees: and other matters related thereto," with public hearing three minute limit. The ordinance already passed two readings in earlier meetings.

"County libraries are permitting the promotion of inappropriate materials in the children's and young adult sections," he said in the video. "I believe this practice must stop. Adding two at-large members would better represent the people of Anderson County."

The Library Board meets on the second Monday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at the Anderson Main Library for six times a year: January, March, May, July, September, and November.

Meeting dates and times are subject to change.

Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Anderson County Library Board expands, some worry books to be banned