Being a library CEO sucks ...

from: The Belleville Intelligencer

Next up, CEO number four

By W. Brice McVicar

Posted 1 hour ago

The city's public library is taking the next step in finding yet another a chief executive officer to take on the post that three other full-time CEO's have vacated.

Library board vice chairman Coun. Garnet Thompson said advertisements for the position will be published within the next week after an internal campaign to fill the post is concluded. Currently, Trevor Pross is serving in an interim capacity in the position.
Pross was named to the job after Lesley Bell resigned in August.
"The library board has authorized to go ahead with advertising for a new CEO and we're going to start that process," said Thompson.
The ideal candidate must have a library degree but should also be able to stay up-to-date with the changing times when it comes to libraries, he said. The city has lessened some of the burden on the position with the city hall information technology department handling all IT aspects and the municipality taking over the bookkeeping jobs, he added.
"We're looking for someone who has some broad experience. If we can get someone who's trying to come up through the ranks that would be fine, but we need someone willing to get us out in the community a little more and can look for other avenues for funding," he said.
Thompson said the goal is to have someone named to the position by March or April.

Since opening the new library at the corner of Campbell and Pinnacle streets, the city has seen a number of people fill the CEO position. Long-time librarian Leona Hendry retired in 2007 and was replaced by Mark Gagnon. Gagnon's tenure was cut short after two-and-a-half years when he was fired, a move that was clouded in secrecy with neither Gagnon or the city ever disclosing the reasons behind the dismissal.

In February 2010 Lesley Bell was hired as the library's CEO. Hired on an 18-month contract, Bell left on the last day of that contract, a move that was disputed as being either her own decision or a mutual
agreement between Bell and the board.
bmcvicar@intelligencer.ca

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Comments on this Article. 

It's a helluva job being a head librarian/CEO - not at all what one would expect. I was driven out of this position by one village library board, & wrongfully dismissed by another. I know of many other library CEOs who have gone thru this painful experience, thanks in large part to the finicky nature of untrained & unprofessional volunteer library boards. Even if library staff are lucky enough to be unionized, the CEO usually isn't included in the bargaining unit, & suffers at the whims of these appointees without union protection.
Chris Faiers
Marmora, ON