Crested Butte News: For I think the second time since I moved to Crested Butte, I put on a suit last Wednesday. The first time was earlier the same month for my son’s wedding and last week was when I attended a hearing at the Colorado Court of Appeals in Denver.

Oral arguments in the appeal were heard at the Ralph Carr Colorado Judicial Center in front of a panel of three judges as part of the ongoing case of Brookhart v. Reaman. I’m the Reaman, so I figured it was best to wear a suit (plus I happened to have just bought one). The Brookhart is Drew Brookhart, the Gunnison County Library District executive director. He also showed up wearing a suit although I’m pretty sure I was the only person in the Judicial Center that day to change in a Trader Joe’s bathroom near the courthouse.

Anyway, the hearing basically concerned whether Brookhart could release to the media the names of people who file a form with the library district asking that books be relocated or banned. The Gunnison District Court had ruled that while the requests on the forms could be made public, the names should be redacted given a Colorado law that protects the identities of library users. That redaction is basically what the CB News is appealing with the help of the passionate attorneys from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. You see, we believe that if someone is asking to ban a book or program from a public library, it is in the public’s interest to know who is making such a request. Those filing a form asking to change public policy aren’t “using” the library and are in fact trying to prevent others from using library services. 

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