Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed Sydney McKenzie, wife of Rep. Britt McKenzie, R-Rogers, to the Arkansas State Library Board.
She replaces Donnette Smith, whose term expired last year. McKenzie’s term will expire Oct. 18, 2031.
McKenzie described the appointment as a “great honor.”
“As a mother of four young children and a passionate supporter and frequent patron of our local libraries, I am grateful for this opportunity to advance access to safe learning environments and promote greater literacy for children across our state,” she said in a statement. “My goal is to enhance the local impact of the communities our libraries serve, ensuring that every Arkansan can experience the unique value libraries provide in shaping informed and engaged citizens.”
Sam Dubke, spokesman for the governor’s office, did not immediately provide a comment on the appointment.
Seven members comprise the State Library Board and are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Arkansas Senate. It was established by Act 489 of 1979, according to the Arkansas State Library website.
A single member is appointed from each of the state’s four congressional districts, while three members are selected from the state at large; no more than two members can come from any individual district.
Among the Arkansas State Library’s responsibilities is the administration of state and federal funds to be appropriated for libraries and library development, according to its website. It also gives library and information resources to both state government and its citizenry, seeks to improve access to libraries and other information resources, and supports public libraries.
Library funding, as well as children’s access to certain materials in libraries, has come under increased scrutiny in recent years across the state and the country and has been the source of intense clashes in recent State Library Board meetings. Many leaders who have expressed support preventing for minors from accessing materials containing sexual content at libraries have described the issue as a matter of safety.
A federal judge recently struck down as unconstitutional two provisions of Act 372 of 2023 that sought to criminalize the furnishing of obscene materials to minors at public libraries and bookstores. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has said he will appeal the ruling. Britt McKenzie was one of 56 lawmakers in the House of Representatives who voted in favor of the measure as it made its way through the Legislature.
Former state Sen. Jason Rapert, who Sanders appointed to the board in 2023, has sought repeatedly to withhold taxpayer money from libraries that do not remove works containing sexual content from places where they can be accessed by minors. The rest of the board has voted him down each time, and in November he urged the state Legislature to abolish the board.
The member whose term will expire next is Jo Ann Campbell; her term ends Oct. 18.
The next State Library Board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 14.
