On April 7th, the Livingston Parish Library Board of Control sought to clarify three key items regarding the future position of Library Director during a special meeting: updated salary, the advertisement language, and potential to update educational requirements for the position.
Currently, Scott Kleinpeter serves as the Interim Director until the position is filled by a board-appointed applicant.
Recent trends show that the board has had few applicants for the job of Library Director – a position that requires, at the very least, a Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) to effectively oversee a hundred faculty members and several library branch locations simultaneously.
Some concerned individuals at today’s meeting and in the past cited the board’s lack of monetary incentive as one reason so few applications were submitted for the position. The previous starting salary of $75,000 a year to manage all of these interconnected branches and complex cross-library personnel is “a self-fulfilling prophecy” ending in disaster, according to one citizen.
Board member Trey Cowell noted that the board has the authority to offer a salary below market rate, but members acknowledged that competitive pay is the most effective tool for attracting and retaining a qualified library director.
The board voted unanimously to amend the library director's starting salary to a range of $90,871.30 up to $115,000, depending on the applicants' experience. The board also discussed potential salary increases for the future Library Director for when he/she reaches certain experience goals as time progresses. However, the board decided to table voting on the exact range of salary increases until a system-wide pay study can be completed for all positions and approved by the board.
In a motion added to the agenda during the meeting, the board voted to pay Interim Director Kleinpeter the new base-level starting salary of $90,871.30 for the remainder of his term.
In addition to the previous language within the job advertisement for the position of Library Director, Vice President Jennifer Dorhauer proposed adding a section on social media literacy in the continuation of public and library relations, a special section requiring basic accounting, financial reporting, and grant writing knowledge, and also a requirement for the ability to deliver effective public presentations.
Board member Cowell also proposed adding a clause stating applicants must have experience supervising a large staff and overseeing multiple facilities as a part of their duties.
Cowell's proposed requirement was moved to the "preference" section of the job listing rather than as a hard requirement, a change that matters for local branch managers who have overseen only a single branch and would otherwise be disqualified.
The rest of the changes made by Vice President Dorhauer were adopted for the advertisement of a new Library Director.
The board also approved to begin advertising and recruiting the new director, with plans to begin posting the position in early fall, interview candidates in the months following, and fill the role by year's end.
The board then heard a proposal to update and expand the educational requirements for the position.
Board President Jonathan Davis proposed expanding the list of accepted degrees for the library director position to broaden the applicant pool. The proposal would allow candidates holding a Master of Public Administration, Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of Educational Leadership or Administration, Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, Master of Nonprofit Administration, Master of Government Administration, or an equivalent degree to qualify alongside the traditional Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS).
Several board members spoke against the proposal. Board member Patricia Wilson said she opposed it, arguing the board should advertise the position under the current requirements before making changes. Board member Rebecca Morgan said expanding the requirements would be unfair to candidates who earned an MLIS and questioned whether applicants without that degree would be adequately prepared for the role. Board member Sheila Goins said branch managers in particular need the MLIS because of the technical cataloging work involved at the branch level.
The board voted unanimously to table the proposal. No changes to the educational requirements will be made at this time, though the board may revisit the issue at a future meeting if the current job search does not produce a sufficient pool of applicants.
