Re: End this dispute — March 3

Many defenders of the decision by the Waterloo Public Library board to fire chief librarian Cathy Matyas cite confidentiality for the board’s silence. An example is found in the letter by Jim Erb. He argues that Matyas is being treated in the same way as she would be expected to handle the employment status of a library staff member. And we should move on.

This is a misleading argument. Matyas has asked the board to state publicly its reasons. Confidentiality agreements are intended to protect the interests of both employer and employee. In this instance, however, the effect of confidentiality is to protect only the employer.

We are told by the board’s defenders that we should understand that the board members, community-minded and diligent, made a difficult decision. Doubtless, all of this is true. However, the fundamental question is whether the board is right. In the past decade Waterloo’s library has become a much stronger institution, and for much of that time Matyas has been at the forefront of its development.

The board’s public silence does a great disservice to Matyas, the library, and the wider community. Its silence raises questions about its plans for the future. Are we as citizens supposed to roll over and go to sleep?