Hollister - After a failed attempt last year to recruit a county librarian, the Board of Supervisors decided this week to try yet again to fill the leadership void at the San Benito County Free Library.
On Tuesday the board voted to renew its search for a person to lead the county library into the future. Rather than hire a firm to do the job - which could cost more than $20,000, according to county staff - supervisors chose to keep the recruitment in-house, using a panel comprised of county staff and community members who will screen applicants.
The county has lacked a full-time, permanent librarian since Jo Wahdan - who held the post for more than a quarter century - retired more than a year ago. Since then the job has been held by an interim librarian. Karen Schaffer, who became interim librarian a year ago, has plans to retire at the end of the year. Following Wahdan's retirement last year, the county attempted an in-house recruitment. The attempt, however, yielded no suitable candidates. Of the three who we're chosen for interviews, one did not show up and neither of the others were qualified, according to county staff.
"I never realized librarians were so scarce a commodity," Supervisor Reb Monaco said during the meeting Tuesday.
Librarians, in fact, are a scarce commodity in California, according to Solano County Director of Library Services Ann Cousineau. There is a dearth of librarians in the state because fewer people are choosing being a librarian as a profession, she said. On top of the shortage, Cousineau she added, San Benito faces added difficulty because larger counties can afford to pay employees more.
"Because of the shortage, San Benito comes in competing with other jurisdictions that might pay higher salaries," she said.
The salary range for county librarian in San Benito is between $62,676 and $80,028.
County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson predicted that the in-house recruitment process would again fail to turn up a qualified candidate.
"I don't think that will be very successful," she said to the board. "It hasn't been successful in the past."
Despite the Thompson's harsh prediction, however, the board decided to give finding a librarian another go. Some see hiring a full-time, permanent librarian as a crucial first step to developing a vision for the library's future. Others have thought that a developed vision for the library's future would help attract a qualified candidate for the librarian position. In January the county held a workshop to draw the community into the process of creating a vision. But like the recruitment last year, the vision workshop failed to produce results, according to Thompson.
"That has not gel-ed," she told the board. "Frankly, I have not seen it gel in the community and generate wide-spread interest."
Supervisor Anthony Botelho, who has long said that he thinks a librarian needs to be hired before a plan for the future of the library can be crafted, said Tuesday that he is running out of patience with the process.
"I'll try to bite my lip a little bit, frankly, I'm embarrassed by this whole situation," he said. "We need to have a librarian in order to have a vision."
Three members of the Friends of the San Benito County Free Library who spoke at the meeting agreed with Botelho that a librarian should come first.
"We need a leader with a vision to maintain and improve our library," FOL member Richard Fish said. "We need to hire a county librarian permanently as soon as possible."
A vision for the library, including an assessment of what the community needs from a library will be important if San Benito County wants to take advantage money from Proposition 81 - a $600 million library infrastructure bond that will be on the state ballot in June - according to Cousineau, who is also Proposition 81 campaign chair.
Most agree that San Benito's cramped, aging library building on Fourth Street in Hollister - lacking much of the high-tech equipment that other libraries have - is in need of improvement, or even replacement. Some have envisioned a large new library in downtown Hollister. Gavilan College President Steve Kinsella and County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley have both said that they are interested in working with the county to develop a better library.
San Benito County still has time to get a share of Proposition 81, Cousineau said, because if the bond passes the state likely won't begin dispersing the money until 2008.
Supervisors say that they would like the county to reap the benefits of Proposition 81, if it is successful next month. Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz, who has three kids use the library, said that he would like to see the county join with other jurisdictions like the City of Hollister to hammer out a vision for the library.
Luke Roney covers local government and the environment for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lroney@freelancenews.com
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