Director's Search Committee Meeting

29 January 2024

Agenda HERE

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Committee Members:

• Stephanie Armbruster (LPL BoC member)

• Alan Moore (LPL BoC member)

• Terry Trahan (community member)

• Dawn Williams (community member)

• David Pitre (former LBOC member)

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The first meeting of the library's Director Search Committee was very revealing in terms of what we can expect from this board's choice to lead LPL. Realizing their pool of candidates was likely to be quite small (no one wants to work here; Lafayette is nationally known for having a hostile board and toxic workplace environment), they continued their program of removing or diluting the influence of professional librarians on library policy and mission. It should also be noted that committee member Terry Trahan was not in attendance.

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Perhaps the most important items discussed were the qualifications for the new Director's position. In line with the Board of Control's recent decision to disaffiliate from the ALA, the committee voted to remove the requirement that the new director have an MLIS degree from an ALA-accredited institution. David Pitre, instigator of the disaffiliation action, noted, for example, that someone with an M.Ed and an MBA might be well-suited for the job.

 

Because of course a business degree is the perfect choice to run a public library.

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The big question is now: Is this legal?

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Here's a rundown: state law regarding the powers and duties of library board members is covered in R.S. 25:215. That law states "The board of control shall have authority to establish rules and regulations for its own government and that of the library not inconsistent with law; to elect and employ a librarian, and, upon the recommendation and approval of the latter, to employ assistant librarians and other employees and fix their salaries and compensation; provided that no contract of employment shall be made for a longer period than four years nor with any person as head librarian who has not been certified by the State Board of Library Examiners as provided in R.S. 25:222."

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That law (R.S. 25:222) states "The board of library examiners shall have authority to establish rules and regulations for its government and prescribe examinations, qualifications, conditions, and requirements for those seeking certificates or permits to practice the profession of librarian."

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So let's go look, then, at the state Board of Examiners. Their rules tab reveals they issue three types of certification (see page 55): 

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Executive

Temporary

Provisional

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The description for each and every one of these certifications reads (see p. 55 of the guide): 

A.    The State Board of Library Examiners will issue _______ certification to individuals who have:
1.    a master’s degree in library and information science granted by a library school accredited by the American Library Association;

 

According to their guidelines, the temporary certification waives the requirement that a director have three years executive experience. Candidates have three years to fulfill that requirement. The provisional certification waives the requirement that a director has passed the exam, and gives candidates six months in which to do so. None of the offered certifications waive the requirement for an MLIS degree from an ALA-accredited institution.

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Additionally, the State Library of Louisiana publishes a Handbook for Louisiana Public Library Directors, which clearly states, on the first page, the same information. Waivers are only given for lack of executive experience, and "only as emergency measures." 

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Any way you slice it, library directors must meet these requirements. And while it is true that some very small Louisiana library systems have been given waivers, this is due to the fact that, as tiny systems, they have no realistic way to attract candidates who meet the state requirements. These systems instead frequently hire directors from within who have many years of library service and experience. Lafayette is far from a small system, with nine branches and an average annual budget of over $10 million. There's no way we could be construed as having the same needs or constraints. 

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It remains to be seen as to whether the committee will receive applications for the job from qualified candidates. If they do, however, and still insist on hiring someone specifically because they are not a librarian and therefore in no way associated with the ALA, they will not only be breaking the law, but, once again, breaking public trust.

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