Ohio's Chief Deputy Auditor Daniel E. Schultz Jr. questioned the propriety of turning over some of the proceeds from Medina County (Ohio) District Library Friends' booksales to the local Citizens for the Library—a political action committee—rather than to the library. Schultz said the situation did not require an audit, but that the relationship between the Friends, the library, and the PAC should be changed, otherwise it "may be problematic in the future." The PAC had been active last year in lobbying for a library tax levy that narrowly passed.
Other issues raised by Schultz, according to the July 23 Cleveland Plain Dealer, involve ensuring that library employees do not work for the Friends or the PAC during work hours; that the PAC not use the library's address on its campaign finance reports; and that the PAC not use the library's postage machine, even though it reimbursed the library.
Michael Harris, acting director of the library system, said that the library will comply. The library has also been involved in a recent controversy over unrestricted Internet access.
Posted July 27, 1998.