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A 2025 agreement between Mitchell County, Avery County, and the Town of Spruce Pine to establish a regional library contains multiple restrictions on the library’s books, director, and displays. Specifically, the agreement bars any materials that “violate standards for community decency” as determined by the library’s government-appointed board of trustees and prohibits the library’s director from engaging in “discussion or debate of political issues.” The agreement also bars the library director from allowing “displays of a political nature or dealing with matters of current political events,” without defining “display.” 

On June 2, 2025, FIREwrote to the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners enumerating the constitutional problems with this agreement and requesting that Mitchell County, Avery County, and Spruce Pine revise the agreement to comply with the First Amendment. FIREsent similar letters to the Avery County Board of Commissioners and the Spruce Pine Town Council on June 6.