CURRENT POSITION Chair, Board of Trustees, Meridian Library District, ID  DEGREE MPA, Boise State University, ID, 2013 FOLLOW linkedin.com/in/meg-larsen-81b625268; mld.org/board; bit.ly/BoiseFreedomToRead Photo by Bob Rider Photography

Standup Trustee

As chair of the Meridian Library District (MLD) Board of Trustees, Megan Larsen passionately defends the right to read. Like many libraries around the country, Meridian Library District faces attacks from a vocal minority seeking to restrict access to titles featuring diverse content, and recently, a group filed a petition attempting to dissolve the district. “Sometimes, the fight comes to you, like it or not,” Larsen says. “It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to have the opportunity to stand up for the right to read.”

Larsen supports library staff facing hostile accusations over the content in some library books. She has kept crowds of 200 calm and orderly at meetings, says her nominator, MLD Director Nick Grove. Larsen says she lets the audience know disrespect and name-calling will not be tolerated. Locals have continued to champion their library with hundreds of written comments submitted in response to book challenges and unsuccessful efforts to dissolve the district. As a result of her work, the community group Boise City Club selected Larsen to represent public libraries on a forum titled Freedom to Read. 

Larsen also has led efforts to open new libraries to meet the needs of a growing community. Since joining the board in 2014, she’s used her experience in business and public services to help MLD successfully fund five building projects with a $14 million voter-approved levy. “The strong support for the levy is clear evidence for us that our residents really value the library as an important part of the community,” she says.