Library Trustees Face Short Timeline to Find New Leadership

At the Monday, June 26 special meeting of the East Lansing Public Library Board of Trustees, it quickly became apparent trustees would need to work quickly to find new leadership. As ELi reported over the weekend, Library Director Kristin Shelley and Assistant Director Brice Bush have both tendered their resignations, ending their tenures on July 5 and 7, respectively.

The hastily called meeting began with just three of the trustees physically present – President Polly Synk, Vice President Amy Zaagman and Secretary Pamela Smith. Trustee Ameenah Asante began the meeting on conference call before joining in person halfway through, while Trustee Diane Goddeeris also arrived a bit late. The June 14 meeting of the trustees was supposed to be her last.

Shelley was not present for the meeting, but Bush appeared to represent library administration.

The board revisited the strategic plan it discussed at the June 14 meeting, electing to put plans on hold until a new director is in place.

Library board discusses how they will approach finding a new director.

As the discussion turned to finding a new director, Goddeeris gave a history of how the process has worked in the past. And trustees began to discuss the possibility of hiring a consulting firm to manage the search.

“I agree we need a good search,” Zaagman said. “But, it will [cost] $40,000 and it won’t yield a good candidate. I’m very concerned that we need to stop for a minute. We can approach this a little more cautiously.”

Zaagman continued, citing the mass turnover in East Lansing’s city government and the ongoing investigation concerning the Jan. 11 alleged racial profiling incident at the library, concluding it would be difficult to attract a high quality candidate at this time.

“We need to hit the pause button for a minute and think about what we do want from a director and not just what we don’t want,” Zaagman said. “We are a city library and there are far more library administration positions than there are for qualified people to fill them. 

In the end, she suggested forming an advisory committee to help determine what to look for in a library director. She envisioned the group consisting of two trustees, library staff and community members.

In the meantime, the East Lansing City Council will look for an interim director.

Using a job description provided to the board by Shelley, the board spent time deciding what duties it would ask of a six-month interim director. Synk said it was likely the interim director will need to hire staff and supervise existing staff. Bush advised the interim director will need to work on the 2024-2025 budget from the city and a state aid grant. 

Trustees decided the interim director will not need to sit on non-library commissions and neighborhood groups as Shelley has. Bush and Councilmember George Brookover, the council liaison to the board, advised that whomever is selected, that individual should attend a weekly meeting with directors in city government who meet each Monday with Interim City Manager Randy Talifarro.

Goddeeris also pointed out that anyone who is a member of a union at the library would need to leave that union if they are chosen as interim director.

Synk volunteered to take the feedback of the trustees and to put together the call for interim director candidates by Tuesday, June 27. They will ask the city’s human resources department to weigh in on a salary range. The description will be posted on city websites, and Zaagman will share with state library contacts, such as the Woodlands Library Cooperative of which ELPL is a member. The interim director job is currently posted on the city web site. The application deadline is July 6.

When asked who among the current staff could serve as a temporary point-person until an interim director is appointed, Bush remarked that Circulation Supervisor Conner Williams and Collections and Technical Services Librarian Amber Laude, both held the necessary degree, a Master of Library Science. 

Trustees will interview interim director applicants at special July 6 meeting.

The trustees will hold another special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 6. During that time, they will interview applicants for the interim director position. Trustees cannot meet with a majority of members in private so the public is invited to attend this unique meeting.

Following Monday’s discussion of next steps, the trustees moved into closed session to discuss ongoing union negotiations. ELi has reached out to the union and will update this story with any developments.