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.
On 5/21/12, the lame duck Library Commission hired Sandy Myers as Interim District Librarian in CLOSED Session, without ANY public input/public agenda item (5/21/12 Library Commission Meeting, Closed Session Item 4A). The Library Commission then approved an excessive and outrageous annualized salary of $89,000 for her. No one--except the secretive Library Commission itself--had any say whatsoever in those decisions. By contrast, if "Sue" had attended the 7/11/12 Library Board Meeting (which "Sue" obviously did not) then "Sue" would know that: (1) Ms. Myers' contract as Interim District Librarian expired 7/13/12; and (2) the position was agendized in OPEN SESSION for public discussion, and public input was solicited (Open Session Agenda Item 9A "Public Input Regarding DPL Management Position--Acting District Librarian--Discussion/Action". During Open Session, Nancy's name was nominated by several members of the public in attendance. Nancy is very qualified--she has an MLS and 29 years of experience in the field, including 5 years at the Dixon Library. If "Sue" attended Library Board Meetings, which everyone is welcome to do, she could participate on the process and voice her opinions. Other members of the public do--"Sue" chose not to. The shame is on "Sue"--for mis-stating the true facts and misleading the public as to the true process. Unlike past management, this Library Board acts in the public's best interests.
By contrast, the Library Board of Trustees is trying to restore a little reality and sanity to the salary structure for the new Library Director's position. As the main Patch article states, the Hiring Sub-Committee for the Library Board is currently interviewing candidates to fill the permanent Library Director position. The position has been widely advertised, and candidates are responding from across the U.S. There is NO "pre-selected" candidate, as "Sue" improperly infers.
What I find laughable is that the Commission acted (mostly) responsibly in appointing someone to handle the fiscal year-end issues, but voted not to provide any advice, oversight or indeed authorization to create a budget for the 12/13 fiscal year. As a member of that Commission, I have publicly apologized to the Board for that fiasco; unfortunately, none of the commissioners who voted to ignore the budget appeared at the meeting to apologize for their own actions.
As far as a government employee goes, I suspect we all agree that Dixon neither needs, nor can afford a "nationally recognized" candidate. How about we focus on a qualified, hard working, honest, locally respected person? And, wouldn't we all agree that there just may be good folks that will work for 45K to 65K? When my kids needs a surgeon, I'll look for the nationally recognized, "best and brightest" surgeon to do the job.