The Jan. 17 Washoe County Library Board of Trustees meeting marked Gianna Jacks’ first as the board chair after Frank Perez resigned in December. (See “The library wars: Right-wing allies appear to have taken control of the Washoe County Library Board,” RN&R, January 2024.)
As acting chair, Jacks took firm charge and adopted a demeanor that seemed to recall her military background—a marked change from her first meeting as a trustee in October, when she presented herself with humility.
During the January meeting, Trustee Lea Moser was elected vice chair without controversy—but tensions between Jacks and Washoe County Library Director Jeff Scott were palpable, after Jacks unsuccessfully tried to fire Scott at the December meeting.
Fewer members of the public attended the January meeting compared to December’s robust turnout, but familiar faces showed up to both support and protest drag queen story hour and select books in the library system’s collection.
Jacks refused to vote to approve the meeting minutes from December, calling them “horrible” and “embarrassing.” Her repeated refusal to approve the minutes at past meetings has come with an insistence that the minutes, especially public comments, be entered into the record verbatim. (This is a frequent ask of both Jacks and some right-wing protesters.) Jacks called for Library Board meetings to be moved to “proper chambers” so that the minutes could be handled by a professional transcriptionist, rather than by library staff; she called the current system “totally inappropriate” that yields “egregious errors, time and time again.” Trustee Ann Silver also said she believed having library staff transcribe extensive meeting content was impractical. Deputy District Attorney Herbert Kaplan responded that there is no requirement that public comments be recorded in the minutes verbatim.
The agenda included a review of the cost of drag queen story hour. Jacks took issue with the information provided to the board by Scott, which stated the total dollar amount spent on the events in 2023 by Our Center, but did not include itemized expenses. Scott explained that the money was not given to the library system, but that Our Center—the area’s LGBTQ+ nonprofit community center—covered the expenses directly, so a more detailed breakdown would need to come from Our Center.
Jacks became agitated and raised her voice when speaking to Scott. She asked him, “Is this out of your purview? Can you not handle this job of giving us these financial reports?” After repeatedly demanding that Scott provide specific numbers—which Scott said that Washoe County Library System did not have—Jacks said: “That is your job. Once again, you’re failing at your job.”
Scott offered to have Stacey Spain, the executive director of Our Center—who was at the meeting—answer questions regarding financial details. Jacks declined.
Jacks also took issue with the possibility of indirect costs—including event promotion and security—being paid for by the library system for drag queen story hour. Moser and Trustee Al Rogers called for a more thorough look at the costs for all library programs, while Silver requested that a ballpark number detailing the indirect costs be put together.
Scott told the RN&R that a cost analysis for all of the library system’s youth events will be presented to the board at a future meeting.
Also on the agenda was an update by Scott regarding the Library Expansion Fund. This funding—implemented in 1994 and set to expire this year—provides more than a quarter of the library system’s budget. While the funds come from property taxes, they do not represent an additional tax; instead, the county is required to set aside the funds for the library system when it collects property taxes.
Jacks became frustrated with the update, which she considered inadequate and called “aloof,” claiming that the public is unaware of what the tax initiative is. Scott had previously presented information on the initiative at the October and November board meetings, and the board had discussed it in November. Moser requested training for the board members so that they could know more regarding the tax process.
During a five-minute recess called by Jacks following the heated discussion, Kaplan appeared to criticize Jacks, saying, “I’m cautioning you,” to which she replied, “This is a lackluster update.” When the meeting resumed, Jacks seemed to rein in her frustrations for the remainder of the meeting. The board discussed revisions to the trustee bylaws and manual, but tabled any decisions for a future meeting. Nonaction items included a review of the library director evaluation process and Library Board of Trustees policies.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 21, at the Sparks Library. Perez’s seat on the Library Board is expected to be filled by the Washoe County Board of Commissioners soon, with the new trustee being seated in time for the March Library Board meeting.
I spent 20 years in the US Army retiring in 2009. If the behavior Jacks exhibits at these meetings is indicative of her style while in the military, she is the definition of toxic leadership. Being in the military does not give one a pass on diplomacy, decorum, and decency, especially when you’re no longer in the military . If anything, military service should reinforce discipline and self-control, which Jacks doesn’t appear capable of, especially considering her display of emotion during this public meeting. It’s embarassing is what it is.
There shouldn’t be LGBT “programming” any more than there should be straight, Catholic, or any other group’s “programming”.
Perhaps Library Board Chair Gianna Jacks and Trustee Lea Moser should attend a drag queen story hour before they make any judgements. Of course someone will have to watch that they don’t burn any books!
About the “programming”, straight, and pretty much any religion is already accepted by society in general so no need to double down on it. The LGBT community is making its way into accepted “programming”. Unfortunately, for some folks it will be a fight to keep the LGBT community in their place and if they have any say it will be out of sight and mind. Too bad for those little and big folks who are learning who they are and learning to accept themselves as they feel.
What is mind boggling to me is the fierceness that one won’t accept that an individual could possibly have a genetic code that got mixed up a bit as it happens all of the time!!! Basic biology class in high school we learn how the DNA can reproduce itself, yet, not look or act 100% as its donor genes. That is a very simplified example.
Maybe the someones who are fighting this possibility should not be “volunteering” for the job as they don’t seem to have basic knowledge about the subject that they are fighting against. Any other job has a job description and/or required credentials for job performance. I would say that this Jacks person has an agenda rather than knowledge base and should not be a part of the library board.
The Washoe County Library system says they have “Drag Queen Story Hour” to be inclusive yet when Veterans asked to read to children on Veterans Day they said “NO”. A group called Battle Born Moms For Education asked to read Patriotic books to children on the Fourth of July, they said “No, only librarians can read to kids”, this was in 2021. They have an agenda and it is NOT inclusive.