POST FALLS, Idaho — Martin Walters is a professional librarian who has been the director of academic, school, and public libraries for over twenty years. He began his duties as the director of the Community Library Network (CLN) in mid-September, coming directly from his most recent employment in Bow, New Hampshire, where he directed a public library for nearly five years.
Born in Montreal, Walters is the father of seven and, together with his wife and youngest children, was excited to join the North Idaho community. “It is the perfect spot for us,” shared Walters in an exclusive interview with Kootenai Journal on November 25. “I have always looked for the combination of outdoorsiness and the community and cultural mindset [found] here.”
The Inland Northwest is not new to Walters, as his family moved to the Canadian west coast when he was a young child. “I grew up in the Vancouver area…I did a Masters in English Literature which brought me to Toronto…then back to Vancouver for my masters in Library Science at the University of British Columbia.”
When asked what led him to pursue a career as a professional librarian, Walters admitted he originally desired to earn a doctorate and become a professor of philosophy. “My parents are both teachers, my brothers were teachers, and that was the direction I thought I would go,” he shared. “But at that point, I already had two children and was more interested in being a dad and being at home than pursuing the Ph.D.”
Walters took the leadership role at CLN only two and a half months after the Children’s School and Library Protection Act went into effect. The legislation was heralded by the Idaho Family Policy Center as a pivotal law for parents seeking to limit their child’s exposure to sexually explicit material in both public and school libraries.
“Now, parents will no longer need to worry that their children will stumble across pornographic materials while using public school and community libraries,” stated Blaine Conzatti, President of Idaho Family Policy Center in a press release. “Pornography has no place in schools or public libraries — period.”
Walters believes that professional librarians have gotten off-course. “In the profession, there was a change of trend…give them what they want,” he explained. “The idea that we are going to switch from the tradition of building a collection for its own sake.”
According to Walters, the modern way of ‘give them what they want’ has led many professional librarians down a path that mistakes a librarian’s serious work. “We are curating collections…it’s not just about what’s popular, otherwise we wouldn’t need a collection development librarian, we would just need someone who can read Oprah’s list and the New York Times list and just click buttons.”
In an effort to “empower the rediscovery of what a library is for its community,” Walters presented a new directive to the CLN Board of Trustees on November 21. The directive has three components — collection development, library layout, and staff responsibility.
At all times, the library is selecting, deselecting, classifying, and cataloging information resources. This is serious professional work and the raison d’être of the professional librarian.
The Directive, CLN Director Martin Walters
“The library stands apart from the ideological conflicts within society. Neutrality in the adult collection is by balance. Neutrality in the collections for minors is characterized by freedom — freedom from the harm of ideological warfare,” Walter states in his directive. “CLN is committed to curating collections for minors that supports both literacy and the love of learning and literature and that augments education and formation during these critical years…This is a serious professional work and not the plaything of social activism.”
[The] collection department at CLN will not be constrained by circulation statistics alone…professional librarians will curate a library collection that is enriched, balanced, and neutral.
The Directive, CLN Director Martin Walters
When it comes to handling staff who might be resistant to his directive, Walters was unequivocal. “The Community Library Network will be a neutral institution — period,” he stated. “How that plays out, trickles down to the front line of staff, that remains to be seen.” He continued with, “If anyone wants to work here and wants to contribute to the institution, then they have to subscribe to the institution’s directive and philosophy. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.”
The directive is the directive. I would expect everyone to be onboard…I want people to enjoy their work and be happy to be here.
CLN Director Martin Walters, November 25 Kootenai Journal Interview
The Post Falls Library is currently closed in preparation for its grand re-opening on December 9. Patrons and community members can expect a formal announcement about the specifics of the re-opening celebration soon.
