PPLD Board of Trustees Appointee Process
How Are Members Appointed to the PPLD Board of Trustees?
By Veronica Baker
In Colorado, the process for appointing library trustees is guided by Colorado Library Law, which requires an establishing authority to interview interested applicants and determine who should be nominated for appointment. Although this requirement is consistent statewide, the specific process varies across library districts.
In Denver, for example, the mayor appoints individuals to serve on the Denver Public Library Commission, which is responsible for the strategic direction of the library.
➤ Learn more:https://www.denverlibrary.org/library-commission
Other districts involve multiple local entities. High Plains Library District, for instance, includes the mayor, the school district, and county commissioners in the nomination process.
HPLD bylaws:
➤ https://www.mylibrary.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/HPLD-Bylaws-Updated-7.15.19-Ratified-9.11.19.pdf
Here at the Pikes Peak Library District, trustee appointments are handled by a Joint Appointment Committee (JAC). This committee consists of two Colorado Springs City Council members and two El Paso County Commissioners. Together, they interview applicants and agree on a nominee to put forward for approval by the full City Council and Board of County Commissioners.
➤ More information:https://ppld.org/administration/board-trustees
One difficulty is that with only four members, the Joint Appointment Committee can easily deadlock — or worse, allow three members to override the fourth without meaningful discussion.
Another challenge is that the state statute and bylaws are extremely skeletal. They’re designed to be expandable, allowing each district to tailor them to its specific needs while still complying with state law. Our district has chosen not to build on these bare-bones bylaws, leaving too much room for interpretation and, at times, leading to “low-bar” outcomes.
To officially obtain a seat on the PPLD Board of Trustees, a nominee must receive a super-majority vote from both bodies:
• At least 3 of the 5 County Commissioners, and
• At least 6 of the 9 City Council members must vote in favor of the appointment.
To remove a Trustee, the same number must vote them out.
This collaborative system is designed to ensure that PPLD trustees represent the priorities and values of both the City and the County while supporting the long-term health and direction of the library district.
Community Input & Legislative Efforts
Some taxpayers feel they should have more direct influence in selecting library trustees. Over the years, there have been attempts to revise Colorado’s laws to create elected—rather than appointed—library boards.
One significant effort was HB19-1048, introduced in 2019, titled Local Election of Library District Trustees, which would have allowed library district voters to decide whether their trustees should be elected.
Bill details: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb19-1048
The bill ultimately did not pass, and no successful revisions have been made to change the structure of trustee appointments in Colorado.
Challenges and Recent Controversies
➤ The appointment process isn’t always smooth. Locally, there was a high-profile disagreement between the City Council and the County Commissioners over a recent PPLD board nominee. The nominee initially failed to receive enough votes from the City Council for approval:
➤ Following extensive public comment and discussion, a later City Council meeting resulted in a reversal, and the nominee was ultimately approved:
➤ Pikes Peak Library District is not alone in experiencing tension around trustee appointments. Other Colorado library districts have faced similar controversies when local governments and community stakeholders have disagreed on nominees.
Examples include:
• Douglas County: https://www.coloradocommunitymedia.com/archives/douglas-county/news/local-government/article_806c0912-ea8e-5214-951e-7abf469983be.html
• Garfield County: https://soprissun.com/peaceful-protest-draws-attention-to-library-board-trustee-interviews/
