A reprieve for a Shoreline library

Published 10:09 am Monday, March 3, 2008

A face-saving compromise will keep librarian Anina Sill at the Richmond Beach Library, at least part time.

My children are among thousands on the west side of Shoreline who have grown up going to the Richmond Beach Library since residents put together a few dozen books to start the library in a hotel basement in 1899 then built a building on donated land in 1912. Anina and other Richmond Beach librarians knew our children because most librarians lived within walking distance of the Library.

The King County Library System recently announced plans to “cluster” the Richmond Beach Library with the Shoreline Library and move Anina to the Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park libraries.

Public pressure led to the compromise that will send Anina to the other libraries for a few months then bring her back to the Shoreline/Richmond Beach cluster.

Being part of the county system means community libraries in Richmond Beach and Lake Forest Park have access to the collections of more than 40 other libraries. But, it also means control from a central office that doesn’t always understand our communities.

The library board is using a clustering system that it first used in south King County where the libraries have less community identification.

Lots of King County libraries have reason to be offended. For example, the Carnation and Duvall libraries are in different clusters even though their children go to the same schools.

Surely, there is room in a county library system to understand the central place that libraries have in samller communities like Richmond Beach .

Where was the independent candidate?

The recorded telephone voice asked me to vote for an independent candidate for King County Council. Since I had written negative comments about both Democrat Bob Ferguson and Republican Steven Pyeatt, I was tempted to cast a protest vote.

But the independent’s name was neither on my ballot nor in my voters’ pamphlet. It turned out that the man was running in another district but had programmed his automated calls by postal ZIP code rather than by district. I have too many automated calls from people who are on my ballot. Please stop the ones for people I can’t vote for or against.

Why an elected sheriff?

“Why do we elect a sheriff?” the young voter asked as we passed an election sign. I explained that every county in the country has a sheriff – even Los Angeles. A sheriff is charged with enforcing court orders and is the chief law-enforcement officer of the county.

Most counties elect their sheriffs. When King County adopted its charter in the 1960s, it made the office appointed, but in the 1990s, voters made the office elective, making then-Sheriff Dave Reichert and current Sheriff Sue Rahr into reluctant politicians.

We don’t elect federal marshals or city police chiefs. Why elect sheriffs?