During the controversy surrounding building a new library for Jackson County, I was struck by one phenomenon: the me factor. The me factor is very common in American political life. It is when people on each side of the aisle, let’s call them special interests, believe that they carry the mantle of what is right for a people, in this case, the people of Jackson County. Here there is no room for either compromise or something which is vital to growing a community and educating its citizens: working together for a common goal.

Let us all just stop for a moment and look at the story: For some years now, certain members of the community recognized the need for a new library. Studies were done, meetings were held, reports were written. Nothing happened. When the county commission began to work with Southwestern Community College to finally realize a new library, there was silence from the community until such time as monies were allocated and a tentative proposal was in the works. When the parties presented the proposal to the community at SCC last spring, all hell broke loose. What I heard from one side of the aisle was that the community was taken unawares. Why weren’t we told? Well, let’s see. The meetings of the county commission are open to the public, minutes are posted and accessible. Hear this: the success of a democracy lies with the diligence of its people. In short, pay attention to what’s going on. Attend the meetings of your elected representatives or take time to read the minutes of the meetings or at least the newspapers. What do you want, a town crier?

So commenced the controversy when the commissioners proceeded with plans even though a number of citizens either objected or requested more study. There was the petition that called for keeping the library downtown. Meetings were held. Anger and disappointment were expressed. A small group of concerned citizens (BOLD) was formed. And from the rest of Jackson County, apathy. To wit, while the issue was hot, only 12 percent of the Sylva population voted in their recent election.

Then the county commission decided to appoint a task force (a normal course of local government; an attempt to involve the citizens on a closer level) to study the feasibility of a joint library. This was, of course, met with a great deal of cynicism from one side of the aisle, saying that the Joint Library Task Force existed merely to validate what the county commission and SCC had already decided to do. On the other, there were those who saw the task force as a perfect opportunity to get the joint library built lest there be no library in sight for the next millennium.

Which brings me to my membership on the task force. I agreed to serve when I received a call from Michael Cartwright, librarian at the downtown Sylva library, with the offer. Why Michael Cartwright and not a member of the county commission or at least the county manager? I don’t know, and it should have been a sign to naïve me since Mr. Cartwright is without doubt on the joint library side of the aisle. Why did I agree? I think that the resources of both the downtown library and the SCC library are dismal. No, not inadequate, dismal. Just one example: I taught history and humanities at SCC last spring and wanted my students to understand the importance of literature in the formation of a culture. So, I went to both libraries looking for the works of the Nobel Prize winners in literature for the last 10 years. They were not to be found. I did recently find J.M. Coetzee’s work, Disgrace, at the Friends of the Library used bookstore for two bucks. It had been culled from the downtown Sylva library. Mr. Coetzee won the Nobel Prize for Literature this year and is a two-time winner of the Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the world. He stood in the forefront with Nelson Mandela in fighting apartheid in South Africa.

But I digress. So the task force began its work with the help of two consultants from Mountain Mediation whose role was to initially inform the task force that we needed a secretary and a chairperson and recorded minutes, etc. Then there were all the librarians from the area and, in particular, the Sylva librarian, who I was later told was supposed to be our adviser. There were times when I wondered why the force was even needed, what with all the consultants advising it on what to do. But we proceeded, and most of the rest of the story is recorded in the local newspapers. Meetings were at noon so only a few members of the community attended (mostly BOLD). Then a community survey appeared, unfortunately, in two forms: one was approved by the task force members, the other revised by one side of the aisle and then published in The Smoky Mountain News and the Sylva Herald. Then came the evening forum, which, along with the task force’s survey, was to supplant the hiring of a $14,000 library consultant from Florida recommended by one side of the aisle (yes, the same consultant that was part of the architectural firm voted for with a $50,000 price tag at the Nov. 25 meeting).

The controversy continues. Dr. Bunn and myself have resigned. My stance is that all along undue influence was exerted from aisle one (reminds me of Dr. Seuss’ Thing One and Thing Two in Cat in The Hat; children at least understand the moral of that story) for the task force to work towards validating a feasible joint library. Here is a quote from my letter of resignation to the county commissioners:

I have tried extremely hard to remain objective and above the controversy surrounding the building of a new library. I spent my Thanksgiving agonizing about this decision, because, as a writer, educator and citizen, I believe that Jackson County desperately needs a new facility. However, I am personally uncomfortable with the events as they are playing out. No democratic process is seamless; I know that. But when I accepted this role, I vowed to act in the interests of the commissioners and therefore that of the people who duly elected them. As it stands, I do not believe that I am part of a process studying the feasibility of a project, but simply going through the motions that confirm a forgone conclusion.

And yes, perhaps the cynics were right. And that’s the sadness of it all.

We now read that some Sylva Town Council members realize that they have not given the issue due recognition (eureka!) and will meet with the county commission. Could it be that the controversy has so deepened that these two political forces finally agree to talk? So what about BOLD, the rest of the community, the librarians? Will they finally cross the aisle and talk? Will you cross the aisle and work towards building a library for the people of Jackson County and not for your own personal and business interests? While I sat on the task force and watched the players on both sides of the aisle, I kept saying to myself: My God, this is about educating a people, our children? Why are we being like this? Well, it’s all politics, isn’t it?

A while ago, I suggested to some powers that be that the writers in the area, along with the Friends of the Library, the librarians, the bookstores, civic groups, the college, and other interested parties get together to begin a fund-raising drive in the form of a book fair. What better way to support the effort to build a new library downtown or make it a cultural center that would be a draw to the area? I heard these comments: “No one will come.” “It’s too much work.” “You don’t expect us to help?” “That’s not our job.” And a couple that may not be publishable here. OK, so leave it to the politicians, leave it to side one and side two of the aisle. And our children will watch us from the sidelines, learning that this is the way we do not make the world better and provide for their future.

All of us have the opportunity to realize the best of both worlds. A library downtown, if you work for it, and a library at the SCC campus, for which your elected officials have provided financing. What do you want for your children? Do you want them to remember you as a member of the me factor generation?

(Linda Young lives in Sylva.)