Loss of library service came as a surprise to Marion School District officials

Marion School District officials are criticizing Flathead County Library trustees for failing to involve the public in their decision to end book delivery services to the community.  

“If we had known it was on their agenda, we would have gone,” said Lily Bowers, chair of the Marion School Board of Trustees. 

Library board members voted March 26 to end their contract with the Marion School Library, effective July 1, during a board meeting in Bigfork. Marion Superintendent and Principal Julia Maxwell said she didn’t know about the decision until after the vote. She received a letter informing her of the change on March 31.  

“This topic was reportedly discussed over the course of several months, yet the Marion community — whose residents are taxpayers contributing to the library system — was not included in those discussions,” she said.  

The agreement — drawn up in March 2023 and effective as of July 1 that year — established a book delivery service to Marion from the Kalispell library branch. Patrons reserved books online, and a library staff member dropped the materials off at a kiosk in the school once a week.  

Maxwell responded to the library trustees the day she received the letter, expressing her disappointment in their failure to notify the public. 

“As a rural community, access to library services is not simply a convenience; it is a critical resource,” Maxwell wrote. “For some of our families, this service represents their only realistic connection to the county library system.” 

An average of two to three patrons used the book delivery service every month, according to a cost analysis provided by Flathead County Library. Each trip costs about $52.96, up to $211.84 per month, library officials estimated. Dugan said the expenses associated with the service significantly exceeded its level of use.  

“While we regret the impact this decision has on the Marion community, we want to emphasize that we remain open to working together to explore alternative options,” she wrote in a second letter sent April 1.  

The issue will likely be discussed at the next school board meeting on April 14, Bowers said. 

Report for America reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at (406) 758-4439 or hshields@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.