Schremser, Others Leave New Orleans Public Library
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 10/2/2008
- Signs of disconnect between board, director
- Loss of institutional memory
- No search for six months
The September 18 resignation of New Orleans Public Library (NOPL) director Donna Schremser, shortly after her one-year evaluation by the library board, came in the wake of the departure of three top administrators and was followed by that of the foundation director, signs of disarray at a library still struggling to recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Rica Trigs, who was appointed chief operating officer in 2008—a position that reported directly to the library board, bypassing the director—will serve as interim director until a new director is hired. “I am happy to utilize my education and experiences in public administration and governmental relations to help move my library system forward,” Trigs told LJ. A ten-year NOPL veteran, Trigs has a master’s degree in urban studies, with a concentration in public administration, though no MLIS.
New leadership team
On August 25, NOPL appointed three associate directors: Shannon Aymami, covering branch services and staff development; Valencia Hawkins, in charge of central services, programming, and outreach; and Kim Tran, supervising technical services and collection development.
The positions were restructured after veterans’ Elizabeth Konrad (Systems) and Linda Marshall Hill (Public Services, Main) retired, and Jim Mitchell (Branches) left. Also, Mary Ellin Santiago, manager for the Gates Foundation’s Gulf Coast Libraries Project, is expected to be hired by NOPL as a consultant to help get day-to-day operations on track.
The associate directors will focus on library operations, while Trigs is “primarily tasked with the master plan implementation and external affairs,” she said. Prior to moving into her library position, Trigs was deputy director of the mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations.
Going forward
NOPL Foundation executive director Ron Biava told LJ his resignation resulted from “a difference of opinion” over the foundation’s direction. Referring to the ambitious master plan for NOPL, he added, “I still think we have a good plan.”
The library board, Trigs said, doesn’t plan to begin a director search for at least six months, “as they make the library system a place where they can attract new candidates.” The board is aiming to shore up operations, including collection development, staff development, and automation, she said. Clearly, there’s room for improvement. An announcement of “new materials” on the library web site yesterday still reported books arriving in June; Trigs said a major order had just been processed.
