To the Editor:
I’m sorry to read that Tracy Fitzmaurice resigned as head of the Fontana Regional Library System, and I want to say something clearly in defense of Tracy.
Tracy has given decades of steady, public-minded service to the Fontana Regional Library community — she’s been with the system since 1991 and stepped into the director role in January 2023. That kind of institutional knowledge and calm competence isn’t replaceable on a 30-day timeline.
What’s especially troubling is how quickly “political ideology” gets used as a vague accusation when a library simply does what libraries are meant to do: provide access, follow a written collection policy and serve everyone — including people we don’t personally agree with. The story here isn’t that one director “pushed an agenda.” The story is that the library has been pulled into a climate of conflict — withdrawal threats, inability to secure legal counsel and even anonymous threats sent to staff, trustees and members of the media.
Also, the combined director/county librarian arrangement wasn’t some personal power-grab — it was a structural reality the system has navigated for years, and changes to that structure come with real costs and staffing complications, especially with Jackson County’s uncertain status.
Whatever people think about displays or specific titles, no community benefits from driving out experienced public servants under suspicion and pressure. Libraries aren’t safer when professionals resign — they’re weaker, easier to politicize and harder to run.
Thank you, Tracy, for your years of service and for doing a difficult job in an impossible climate.
Charlie Nicholas
Jackson County