HENDERSON, Ky. — The Henderson County Library board of trustees has taken initial steps in its search for a new director.
At its regular meeting on Aug. 13, the trustees discussed and started looking into hiring an outside firm to conduct a search for a pool of qualified candidates. However, library staff are asking that they and others have a voice in the final selection.
The beginning phase of finding a new director follows weeks of upheaval surrounding the leadership at the library.
The board of trustees effectively removed Library Director Caleb May from his position in June after he made social media posts on his personal Facebook page regarding the Black Lives Matter movement. The Facebook posts, which called the BLM movement "hypocritical" and "racist" and called the abortion of African American children a "liberal holocaust," were made amid national protests related to incidents of police brutality, specifically toward Black men.
Many in the community called for May's removal while others supported him staying in the position.
The board unanimously agreed to place him on administrative leave until his contract expires on Aug. 31.
May — who held the position since 2015 — in turn has filed a $2 million federal lawsuit against the library and the board of trustees claiming "retaliation against (May) for the exercise of his freedom of expression as a private citizen and for his religious and political commentary on social media regarding matters of public concern."
Despite the pending lawsuit, the library trustees are moving forward with finding a new library director.
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During the board's regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 13, Attorney Chris Hopgood said there are procedures laid out for how the trustees can go about searching for a candidate.
Susie Thurman, library board chairwoman, said it's possible for "the board to offer the position to someone after coming up with a name."
Steve Parrott, Region West Librarian for the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives who attended the Zoom meeting, suggested that the trustees keep in mind the turmoil of late in connection with the library.
"The board could do that (come up with a list of names), but you have to consider the community ... with you guys and your situation right now. It’s how do you want the community to see you, the board and the library, that kind of thing. That’s something to consider.”
Arlene Alexander, one of the library trustees said, "I’ve only been involved with the board a year, but given what’s happened the last two times, I strongly think we should look at a company from the outside to come in and be part of the (hiring process).
"Given public comment, I think we are going to be scrutinized very carefully, and that’s why I think we need a professional organization to help guide us through this."
Information on what Alexander meant by "the last two times" was not available. However, according to past articles in The Gleaner, the person who held the position prior to May was Essy Day. She was director from March 2013 until her resignation in February 2015 when she left to take another position.
While discussing what needs to happen as part of the director search, longtime library employee Carla Bradley suggested that staffers be part of the process.
"I do agree on using some type of service for a director search," she said. "The staff has expressed interest in a staff member being on the search committee."
Alexander clarified that the professional service wouldn't hire the director.
"They narrow down the search," she said.
Bradley said staff members aren't the only ones who would like to participate.
"There have been other counsels in the community who have expressed interest in helping with that search," she said.
“If we have too many irons in this fire, it will never get resolved,” Alexander said.
Children's Librarian Danielle Anguish asked if it would simplify the process to have "a representative of certain groups on the search committee?"
Thurman said, "We will get the ball rolling today as far as looking at companies (to help in the director search), and we can think about how we might include more people from different parts of the public in the search for the director."
Currently, veteran library employee Amber Potts is serving as interim director.
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