San Benito County supervisors gave staff the go ahead this week
to organize a public workshop aimed at developing a vision for the
San Benito County Free Library, which some hope will help recruit a
new permanent librarian.
Hollister – San Benito County supervisors gave staff the go ahead this week to organize a public workshop aimed at developing a vision for the San Benito County Free Library, which some hope will help recruit a new permanent librarian.
County Administrative Officer Susan Thompson said that a commitment from the county and community to develop a plan for the library’s future would aid in attempts to fill the county librarian position, which has been vacant since long-time librarian Jo Wahdan retired in January. An interim librarian has been holding the post since March.
However, a recruitment process has been put on hold because the library doesn’t have a clear vision for the future, Thompson said.
“Our chances of getting someone that is interested in the community are greatly enhanced by having a firm vision of what we want our library to look like in the next two, five or 10 years,” she said.
Mary Schneider, president of the Friends of the Library, told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday that the aging library building located on Fifth Street in Hollister no longer accommodates the needs of the community. Population growth and funding cuts have exacerbated the situation, she said.
“We are left with increased demand for services and little space to provide them,” she said, adding that a permanent librarian is important in providing a higher level of service. “An interim librarian is hesitant to take on long-term projects.”
Some on the board agreed that the county needs to work on a plan for the library’s future before further efforts are taken to recruit a permanent librarian. Supervisors Pat Loe and Jaime De La Cruz agreed that the county needs to develop a plan of action before hiring a librarian. But Supervisor Anthony Botelho said he thought a librarian should be hired first.
Ultimately, Botelho voted in line with the rest of his colleagues to hold a library workshop next month, saying he thinks the county should partner with the City of Hollister and other organizations when deciding the library’s direction for the future.
Earlier this year, an effort to recruit a new county librarian failed when a screening panel consisting of members of the Friends of the Library and a librarian from a neighboring jurisdiction did not find any candidates with suitable experience for the job.
During the discussion at Tuesday’s meeting, Board Chair Reb Monaco appointed Loe and De La Cruz to a subcommittee with instructions to work with county staff and the community to create a vision for the library.
Though a specific date has yet to be set, the library workshop will likely be held in late January, according to Thompson.
