COEUR d’ALENE — Members of the region’s library consortium agreed Wednesday to continue working toward rebranding as Inland Northwest Libraries under a new joint powers agreement, with a tentative deadline set for this fall.

Founded more than 40 years ago, the Community Information Network enables libraries in North Idaho and eastern Washington to share their collections and resources, broadening patrons’ access to materials and sharing costs. 

In January, the library consortium agreed to reorganize as Inland Northwest Libraries, a name that members said more clearly expresses the consortium’s function and purpose. 

The group met Wednesday at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library to review the first draft of a proposed joint powers agreement that outlines the consortium’s structure. 

The draft agreement is “boilerplate,” said Megan Mize, director of the West Bonner Library District. She said the final version will be tailored to the needs of the consortium, based on feedback provided by the member libraries. 

Melanie Crandall, who attended Wednesday’s meeting as a proxy for Benewah County District Library director Denise Nanke, expressed concern about language in the draft agreement requiring member libraries to conform to the standards of the organization. 

Crandall used a hypothetical example of Inland Northwest Libraries requiring all members to collect personal data from patrons before issuing library cards. The consortium does not require this. 

“If I come from a podunk town and I don’t want to put in all of my information in order to get a library card, I don’t want to put my birthday in, then I shouldn’t have to,” she said. 

Mandy Walters, director of the Pend Oreille County Library District in Washington, said member libraries have historically found ways to work together and compromise even when they disagree about policy. She emphasized that membership in the consortium is voluntary. 

“Nobody has to be here,” she said. “Everybody’s making choices, every single one, to continue to be part of this.” 

Mize said her hope is that the reorganization and new joint powers agreement strengthen the consortium and enable it to continue for many years to come. 

“The consortium is the best thing that West Bonner ever did,” she said. “It’s a beautiful and wonderful thing that I know my patrons are very grateful for because we all share and we all have something special that we bring to the table because of the history of some of these libraries.” 

Member libraries are expected to provide feedback on the proposed agreement in July, with an eye toward approving a final draft by October, to align with the start of the new fiscal year. 

*Melanie Crandall's last name has been corrected in a sentence where she was originally referred to as Campbell.