A renewed effort is underway to recruit an executive director for the William F. Laman Public Library System in North Little Rock, Mayor Joe Smith said Thursday, about a month after five finalists were named by city officials.
"It's a special job, and we're trying to find a special person," Smith said about reopening the search.
The position requires a master's degree in library science, a requirement for the library to receive state funding, Smith said. Without filling that requirement, the library system could lose about $100,000 in state funds, he said, adding that he would like to see that prerequisite changed.
"If we had an assistant director right now who had worked for the library for 25 years and everybody loved him and he was a great asset for us and he didn't have a master's degree, I couldn't hire him," Smith said. "That makes you scratch your head. I want to talk to our legislators about that law, and I intend to do that."
National and regional advertisements have gone out in recent days for the position, which carries a salary range of $70,000-$90,000 annually, city Human Resources Director Betty Anderson said. Ads have been distributed through many sources, including state library associations nationwide, the Arkansas Library Association and the Laman Library website, she said.
The library system pays the director's salary, she added. The independent library system doesn't receive city funding for its operations.
"We're just helping them out because they're short-staffed and want to provide them with some assistance," Anderson said.
A committee made up of Anderson, Laman Library board of trustees Chairman Vicki Matthews, interim library Director Mary Furlough and city Finance Director Karen Scott is heading the job search. Smith said he will also interview finalists, but the final decision will be made by the board of trustees.
"It will come down to a combination of a recommendation from me and the interview committee to the [trustees] and they will make their decision," Smith said.
Longtime library system Executive Director Jeff Baskin died in September, just weeks after a diagnosis of an advanced stage of cancer. Furlough has been interim director since since last summer.
The Laman library system consists of the main library at 2801 Orange St. and the Argenta Branch at 420 Main St. in North Little Rock's downtown. The library system is independent of the Central Arkansas Library System based in Little Rock.
Metro on 04/17/2015