I wanted to reach out regarding Eric’s resignation. So I’m sorry if my post on Monday was brief. I have just been sorting through a few things over the last couple of days. I’m getting my bearings.
What I wrote Monday is the official word on Eric’s resignation- Eric resigned Monday and it was effective immediately. We are grateful for his service to the library and the community. He will be missed, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors. I am currently acting as director, and the board will consider and discuss me as a candidate for interim director at the board meeting next week. The board will also discuss the process and next steps for hiring a new director. While the process will take time to ensure the right person is hired for the role, we are confident in our ability to keep library services available and moving forward for the community. I am available to answer questions or address concerns as is Library Board President Dan Marvin. I need to ask Dan what contact info he prefers I share with the public- I will get back to you with that.
So if you are asked about Eric, it is okay and appropriate to share that he resigned and that I am the acting director. The above is pretty much all we have to say. If you get further questions after you share the info above, I would defer to something like, “I don’t know any more than I shared, but I do know that I appreciated all Eric did for the library,” or feel free to grab me or give them my business card.
I have a lot more feelings and questions than the official statement covers. I will miss Eric. For whatever reason the little things have been catching my attention. When I walked past his office it smelled like coffee. I will miss the April Fool’s pranks and silly memes. I feel a little confused. If you feel the same or different, just know you are not alone.
If you are feeling a sense of unease and wondering how this might impact your work or library services, I feel confident that library operations will continue as they have. I am acting as director currently. The library board will consider me as the interim director at the board meeting next week.
Yes- we are short an Eric so there will be some shuffling of responsibilities among department heads and there could be some minor workflow changes as this evolves. We, department heads, will communicate. I expect that we will put out a brief post in the next week or two clarifying how Eric’s duties have been distributed and providing communication channels regarding those work redistribution updates. Beth, Dreama, and Megan are right beside me rolling up their sleeves and helping with the transition. This is a team effort between the four of us, and I am so glad we have each other’s support.
The staff training on May 19 from 9 am – 12 pm has been restructured to a staff session to discuss strategies for coping with rapid leadership change. The session will be led by a counselor and there will be room for staff dialogue. Lunch will be served.
The library will be closed 9-1 pm on that day.
Library staff are appreciated and valued. You are the top priority. Ask me if you have questions.