Opinion: The Peninsula Public Library Deserves Better Leadership
Dear Readers,
The criticism directed at the Board lacked substance, consisting more of screaming and ranting than rational argument. A basic expectation at public meetings is that speakers identify themselves for the record. This is standard practice at board meetings in municipalities and ensures transparency and accountability. At this meeting, however, that norm was frequently ignored. Employees’ friends and family outright refused to provide their names, and in one instance, a woman responded to the request by shouting, “It’s none of your business.”
The overall tone resembled disorder more than civic engagement. Despite the disruption, the Board pushed ahead with several significant changes to the operation of the library. Sunday hours were expanded to a full day, parking was limited to two hours per vehicle, and a new committee was established to select books and materials based on community interest. Each of these measures faced strong opposition from library employees. However, these are likely the most significant changes to benefit the community in all the years we have called the Five Towns home.
Full-day Sunday hours should be a no-brainer, considering how busy the library is on Sundays. It is difficult to understand why the library administration has refused to offer this basic amenity for so many years. Understandably, employees are not happy about losing their parking spots. However, why should those of us who pay taxes to support the library’s budget struggle to find parking? Why should employees be allowed to occupy spaces for an entire day when there are not enough spots for visitors?
The creation of the book selection committee drew particular criticism from the Assistant Director. She argued that such a group lacks the professional expertise required to choose materials. Apparently, only she has the relevant training to know what people want—or should—be reading. That’s neither valid or true. Do you think that she knows what we want we want to read? Besides, anyone who looks at the collection of books that are on the library’s shelves will find titles that many people who read this paper would never imagine having in their homes. In fact, my six-year-old grandson picked up a book in the children’s section that anyone with what we call “family values” would be aghast to see. Going forward, according to library insiders, the Assistant Director will be submitting a number of new prospective titles to the committee for consideration and approval prior to purchase.
This concern is separate from the controversial book placed on public display about genocide in Gaza, which we discussed last week. Altogether, this points to a clear disconnect between library leadership and the community they are supposed to serve. I also witnessed the former director loudly shouting and ranting throughout the session. This raised questions to me about whether there were unresolved issues from her tenure. A brief reference was made during the meeting to a Separation and Release Agreement she signed before her departure, though the details were unclear amid the disruption. These agreements are generally signed when an employee is terminated. Her severance package including accrued vacation and sick days totaled about $100,000.
All of the changes the Board made are common sense and should have been implemented many years ago. Even twenty-five years ago, it made no sense for the library to be open all day on Saturdays when it is seriously underused. Why keep the lights on in an empty building? Who was paying employees to sit there and do nothing on a Saturday? You and me—the taxpayers. Take a look at the library’s annual budget of $3.7 million. Less than 10% is allocated to books. Isn’t that strange? Isn’t the primary purpose of a library to provide books? Yet over 90% of the budget goes toward employee salaries and benefits. It’s encouraging to finally see a Board willing to stand up for what is right for the community. It’s hard to understand why the library administration was unwilling to make these changes in the past and is now trying to resist them—unless, of course, they simply don’t care about the taxpayers they serve.
The friction and tension between the library employees and the board has a history and even a tradition in our community. In the past it happened on the trustee boards of both Lawrence and Cedarhurst and about 20 years ago at the District 15 Lawrence School Board.
The attitude back then was the newer residents who were largely Orthodox Jews were interfering and a menace to the inner workings of the community. It took time but the Village Trustee Boards and the School Board are running with excellence and important fiscal responsibility.
The Lawrence library board are elected by the public to oversee the employees of the library. When there is a vacancy on the board there is legal guidance on how to fill that vacancy prior to a scheduled election. There is currently a vacancy on the board, which will be filled by the community voting in a few weeks.
Whether it’s your parking space or the books that are made available to the community there is a protocol to how these responsibilities are managed by the board and translated to the community through the employees. Whether it’s Village trustees or the School Board or the library there is a streamlined and professional way to achieve objectives all in the best interest of the communities being served.
LG
