Director, Others Leave New Orleans

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 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, though no MLIS.

On August 25, NOPL appointed three associate directors, Shannon Aymami, Valencia Hawkins, and Kim Tran. The positions were restructured after veterans' Elizabeth Konrad (Systems) and Linda Marshall Hill (Collections) 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.

NOPL Foundation executive director Ron Biava told LJ his resignation resulted from “a difference of opinion” over the organization's direction. Referring to the ambitious master plan for NOPL, he added, “I still think we have a good plan.”

With no director search scheduled for at least six months, the board aims “to shore up library operations” and staff development, Trigs told LJ. (An announcement of “new materials” on the library web site October 1 indicated books arriving in June; Trigs said a major order had just been processed.)