The Bradford County Commissioners voted 2-1 to dissolve the library’s advisory board on Thursday, raising questions about what comes next for the embattled facility.
Commissioner Zachary Gates cast the lone vote against the resolution, which he called “premature.” He said the board should have waited until commissioners hired a new library director.
The Bradford County Library Board had no governing authority, but provided recommendations to commissioners, lawmakers said. It was made up of commissioner-appointed representatives from the county’s eight smaller libraries.
But former Library Board President Hugh Austin said the commissioners’ decision violates Title 24 of the Pennsylvania Library Code.
All public libraries, including BCL, must “be governed exclusively by a board of library directors,” Austin said Friday.
While commissioners disbanded the board Thursday morning, members still held a meeting later that day to finish unresolved business.
Austin said the board will continue to meet regardless of the commissioners’ decision, “until we receive guidance that says the commissioners’ action was acceptable.”
The Friends of BCL, a citizens' group that advocates for the library, argues the decision is another step towards library closure.
Friends’ President Anna Jennings did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Recent history and controversies
Last month, the Friends sued county commissioners for three alleged Sunshine Act violations. This is their second lawsuit against the county.
The state’s Sunshine Act requires government agencies to only take official action during public meetings.
Commissioner Doug McLinko has said BCL must become a “destination library” to attract anyone to the Troy-based library that’s “out in the middle of the country.”
“These people never listen … The library is not going to close. We're looking into the future,” McLinko said angrily about the Friends during a Mar. 14 interview.
He demands the library changes before he says it’s too late. In an interview in early March, McLinko said the library could close if it doesn’t take action.
McLinko: The budget was bloated
On Friday McLinko reiterated his plans to hire a new library director who would share his vision to make BCL a destination for people with special needs, kids and the elderly. He hopes to get Martha Lloyd Community Services involved. It’s a community center for people with intellectual disabilities and autism.
He said organizations like Martha Lloyd will attract people to the library — which he argues is underutilized and over-budgeted.
“The budget was bloated … the average library budget in Bradford County is probably about $80,000 and theirs was $450,000,” said McLinko.
The commissioners voted 2-1 in December to slash BCL’s budget by 30% and reduce its weekly hours of operation from 65 to 47.
Gates was the sole ‘nay’ vote on the 2025 budget. He argued in favor of raising taxes to prevent a larger tax hike in the future. The county, he said, had to cut funding for most of its departments because it hasn’t raised taxes since 2009.
Bradford County’s 2025 budget is $71.9 million. The library represents less than half of 1% of all spending.
McLinko said he will announce additional plans to turn BCL into a “destination library” as soon as we “know what the future brings.”
