While some originally hoped — and continue to hope — that a series of amendments to the Fontana Regional Library System proposed by Jackson County commissioners might ameliorate enough of their concerns to allow them to remain in the decades-long partnership with the FRL system, a questionable pamphlet and an academically dubious “list of inappropriate books” being circulated by FRL opponents suggests otherwise, even as FRL supporters report troubling visions of Christmas future if commissioners don’t turn back soon. 

To the Editor:

For nearly 100 years, the Fontana Regional Library System has reflected the traditional mountain values of literacy, truth and community responsibility. These values guided our grandparents who built the first libraries in these mountains. They guided our parents who supported them. And they guide many of us today. Yet these long-held values are now at risk. 

The Fontana Regional Library Board of Trustees is again struggling to implement changes as it trudges forward without legal representation. 

At the Nov. 12 meeting, held in Jackson County, Cynthia Womble, who in September resigned her position as board chair but remains on the board, again expressed concern that Rady Large, an attorney who worked with the board on a pro bono basis, took a new job and couldn’t continue that service.

As tension develops among Fontana Regional Library trustees and a seismic shift lies ahead in about nine months, the board is plugging ahead without an attorney. 

The July FRL meeting was the last for former board attorney Rady Large, who had offered his services pro bono for about the last two years but had to resign upon taking a job with Western Carolina University.

The Fontana Regional Library Board chair and vice chair have both resigned from their leadership positions ahead of the regularly scheduled Sept. 9 meeting.

UPDATE: The initial version of this story noted that the resolution passed unanimously. Due to poor video and audio quality of the meeting, Commissioner Blitz Estridge's "no" vote appeared to be a "yes" vote. The story has been updated to reflect the true vote tally. 

Two weeks after spearheading the removal of a resolution in support of the Fontana Regional Library system from the Sylva Board of Commissioners agenda, a move he later called a “rookie mistake,” Commissioner Jon Brown made good on his promise to introduce a new resolution of support, which passed July 24 — more than a month after Jackson County commissioners voted to leave the system over LGBTQ+ content. 

Editor's note: this story has been updated with a statement from Cynthia Mason Womble, acting chair of the Fontana Regional Library system board. 

In a historic decision that will reshape the future of public library services in Jackson County, commissioners voted Tuesday night to withdraw from the Fontana Regional Library system after months of controversy over content and control.

Anyone who thought that two years, dozens of meetings, thousands of dollars and hours of public comment to reach a new interlocal agreement between Jackson, Macon and Swain counties for the Fontana Regional Library would spell the end of the controversy over local libraries thought wrong. 

A Jackson County commissioner brought up the issue of library security during the commission’s March 4 meeting, citing safety concerns for staff at the Jackson County Library in Sylva.

Macon County has approved a new version of the Fontana Regional Library interlocal agreement that contains changes made by all three counties in the system. This marks the end of almost two years of controversy over the library agreement, libraries themselves and the merits of a regional library system.