As president of the Board of the Santa Fe Public Library, I am extremely disappointed by the controversy over the naming of the new south-side branch of the public library that resulted in the Maloof family’s decision to withdraw their million-dollar donation. Those much-needed funds would have benefited not just the entire library system in Santa Fe, but especially the underserved patrons making use of the south-side branch, mostly kids.
The process that the library board followed was extremely transparent: The board revised its naming policy, publicly solicited names for the south-side branch, and chose to accept the Mike J. Maloof nomination and its promised donation after intense scrutiny of Mr. Maloof’s qualifications and high level of civic responsibility. The decision was not a reflection on the quality of other prominent names that were submitted, but a recognition that the million dollars would do so much good in this time of deep budget cuts, including asking the library to raise its own operation and maintenance money. But the process was too rancorous: A City Council that could not bring itself to approve the name and donation on its own merits in a timely manner, combined with a media climate that preferred to highlight imagined controversy rather than to focus on solutions. I was particularly disturbed by the mean-spirited comments posted to The New Mexican’s Web site, some disparaging the reputation of the Maloof family.
I applaud the efforts of everyone who, as part of the Friends of the Library’s Southside Library Campaign attempted to secure major donations from individuals such as the Maloofs. While I mourn for the programs that might have been, I respect the Maloof family’s decision to withdraw from supporting a worthy cause in a community that does not seem capable of thinking creatively to solve old problems. I do not respect a City Council that is so short-sighted as to allow a donation of that size to vanish. The needs of this community are great, and new ways of addressing them are required.
Michele Huff is the president of the Santa Fe Public Library Board.
