Nancy Schrott Steps In As Library Director

Nancy Schrott is already inside the Dixon Public Library working on “returning the library back to greatness.” Schrott was voted by the Dixon Unified School District Governing Board to be the Acting Library Director for the next couple months until a permanent librarian is hired.

Schrott, who holds a Masters in Library Science, had established her career in Ohio by Lake Erie but in the winter of 2003, she clearly recollects deciding that she “could not take another winter” and put in for a position that had opened in Dixon, in the sunny state of California. She had remembered visiting through Dixon years earlier.

Greg Atkins hired her and she worked at the Dixon Library for five years under his direction until she began to see things changing.

“I thought the library was headed in the wrong direction and so I retired. had not planned to retire at 63 but it worked out and I am happily retired,” she said, although she is looking forward to helping the local library get back to a place that was better for all.

“The patrons should be happy again and the staff should be happy,” she said. “I love that the library staff has always been great through thick and thin. I’ll see what I can do,” she said with enthusiasm.

Following the retirement of District Librarian Gregg Atkins last month and the elimination of the position of District Librarian, the Board of Trustees created the new position of Library Director. Atkins salary had climbed to $156,000 including benefits, according to Trustee Joe DiPaola, and the Board felt they did not need an administrator earning such a high amount when managing only seven full-time employees.

The new position carries the base salary pay scale between $45,000 and $65,000.

“The money isn’t important,” said Schrott. ‘”It’s the unique position that I’m in that I was there in the library’s glory days and I get to head it back in that direction with happy staff.”

Also at last week’s special meeting but in closed session, the Board voted unanimously not to renew Sandy Myer’s contract as Acting Librarian, voted 4-1 (Herb Cross dissenting) to hire Schrott as Acting Library Director and voted unanimously to refer “certain Issues” to the District Attorney for investigation.  Myers had been serving as Acting Librarian since Atkins retirement.

Interviews have already begun for a permanent library director. DiPaola and Trustee Irina Okhremtchouk are serving on a sub-committee to pre-screen potential candidates. Myers will return to her position as the library’s Administrative Support Manager.