by Joe Sullivan
As long as the Knox County library system remains subject to its present board of trustees, the stigma of politicization is going to overhang its governance. The contrived way in which trustees approached selection of a new library director is just the worst example of attempted jury-rigging of processes that should be thoroughly professional.
To its credit, County Commission is showing resolve to get rid of this subjection. At its November meeting, by a 14-to-5 vote, Commission adopted a resolution calling for "operation of the Knox County Public Library [to be placed] under the authority and supervision of the Knox County Executive." As the resolution's sponsor, Commissioner Craig Leuthold, envisioned it, the library board would continue to serve in an advisory capacity in much the same way that such a board advises the county's Department of Parks and Recreation.
While he didn't initiate it, County Executive Mike Ragsdale spoke in favor of the change. Ragsdale has managed to take control of the search for a new library director away from the library board on an ad hoc basis, but he would welcome clear-cut authority to oversee the library system on an ongoing basis.
Unfortunately, the county can't grant him this authority on its own. That's because the library board is mandated by state law, which vests it with "the power to direct all the affairs of the library including appointment of a librarian who shall direct the internal affairs of the library." Thus, the county administration must look to the state Legislature to exempt Knox County from this law.
"I don't think the state should be telling localities how to run their libraries," says Leuthold. But getting the Legislature to concur goes against the grain of more than a century of tradition in Tennessee and many other states.
"The intent has been to ensure a special status for libraries, to set them apart from local government and to insulate them from local politics," says State Librarian and Archivist Edwin Gleaves.
Yet the Knox County Library Board has somehow become a hotbed of political cronyism rather than an example of high-mindedness. Contrivance if not connivance characterized its initial search for a successor to longtime library director Patricia Watson, who retired in September. County Commission managed to blow the whistle on that flawed search process, which seemed calculated to pave the way for the selection of the board's president, Charles Davenport. But when the board dallied in setting in motion a bona fide national search, it left room for Davenport to slip into the director's post on an interim basis despite his lack of library management experience.
The board's appointment of Davenport over the protests of library staff members left the community with a black eye in professional library circles—to the point where the national search for a new director that's now underway may be impaired. At least, the search committee that Ragsdale got established has set experience qualifications that would seem to preclude Davenport from being considered for the post.
County Commission may have only itself to blame for the dubious qualifications of many of the board members. The nine-member board—one from each Commission district—is appointed by the commissioners from that district, and political connections rather than library credentials appear to be the prime criteria in many cases. Moreover, in the absence of term limits, commissioners have a hard time saying no to long-term board members seeking reappointment, which leads to superannuation.
That's not to say the board's elders aren't fine individuals. The man who succeeded Davenport as board president, Charles Burchett, is fondly remembered by lots of erstwhile UT students for his years as the university's dean of student conduct, a post from which he took his leave in 1996. Board member Bill Tallent can regale you with tales of his World War II experiences.
A major impediment to getting the sort of state legislation that Leuthold's resolution seeks is the fact that Burchett happens to be the father of state Sen. Tim Burchett. As a rule, a county's legislative delegation has to be united in support of what's known as a local bill (i.e., one that would make special provisions for a particular county). And getting Burchett on board for such a bill will be a very hard sell indeed.
Still, the case for county executive supervision of the library is a compelling one. The county's library system has become an $8 million-a-year operation with 236 employees, and it ought to be subject to the same management standards as other county departments. Moreover, a new main library is needed to replace the present, outgrown one, which cannot easily be enlarged. And the county executive's involvement is integral to shaping plans for a major new facility.
If legislation vesting the county executive with the desired authority cannot be obtained, then he should at least gain appointment power over the library board. This, too, would require enabling state legislation, but one way or another our library board needs to be reconstituted.
December 4, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 49
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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