Wicomico Public Library head still sought

TOM HEHMAN'S RETIREMENT

Tom Hehman, the Wicomico Public Library director since 2004 retires June 30. Hehman said he's looking forward to retirement. A member of a Rotary Club, he will focus on volunteer work. He's also interested in being active at WSCL, a Delmarva Public Radio station. "It's a very positive step for me. I always think you should retire to something," Hehman said.

SALISBURY -- The first round of searching for a new Wicomico Public Library director has come up empty, meaning that the position will be readvertised in August.

Tom Hehman, the director since 2004 who officially retires June 30, said three experienced library directors were interviewed in person, but no hiring agreement was reached.

Library trustees are seeking a candidate with 10 years' experience and a master's degree from an institution accredited by the American Library Association. The job pays in the $80,000 range.

"It's first and foremost a leadership position. You must have the qualities of a good leader," Hehman said.

On July 1, Vicki Greene, the library's deputy director, will become the library's acting director. The director position will be readvertised beginning in August, and applications will be reviewed after Labor Day, Hehman said.

Valerie Murphy, chairwoman of the library trustees, is leading the search committee for the position. The committee consists of three trustees and three library staff members.

Murphy said the library director is responsible for leading day-to-day operations. Furthermore, the director must oversee the annual budget, plan for the future, maintain facilities and drum up fundraising dollars.

The new library director will inherit a system that draws high marks from its patrons. Then again, the person must also contend with long-term issues, such as the library's aging main branch in downtown Salisbury and county budget support that is at a 13-year low.

Murphy said the candidates who interviewed for the position all stressed how pleased they were with how welcoming Maryland is for libraries. Even though the Wicomico library is in a tight funding situation, the positive is that public interest and use in the library remains strong, Murphy said.

"In difficult economic times, the library really is just the lifeblood of a community," Murphy said.

Hehman attributed the difficulty in closing a deal with hires to the housing market, which makes relocating a frightening prospect.

TAKE ACTION NOW! Becoming a Legislative Advocate for Libraries ...

If you work in a library, chances are you’ve seen or heard calls for you to become a library legislative advocate. You may have seen e-mails asking you to fill out a web form asking legislators to continue funding LSTA , or you may have recently seen e-mails about USA PATRIOT Act reforms . But why should librarians and library workers engage in legislative advocacy efforts? While I am by no means an expert on the topic of legislative advocacy, I have been moderately involved in advocacy work at the state and national level and it seems that I have some experience to impart to the library community. Many library colleagues have told me that they think advocacy work is difficult, or that they are intimidated by getting involved. I am also commonly asked whether advocacy efforts really make a difference.

The combination of the political climate after 9/11, librarians’ bold public actions to defend privacy and intellectual freedom rights, and some thoughtful mentoring from a colleague convinced me to become a librarian.

In 2002, my public library system, Multnomah County Library , filed a lawsuit against the United States of America on the basis that CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) “…induces public libraries to violate their patrons’ First Amendment rights…and (2) it requires libraries to relinquish their First Amendment rights as a condition on the receipt of federal funds and is therefore impermissible under the doctrine of unconstitutional conditions” (p. 407).

A year later an FBI agent blamed “radical militant librarians” for his/her inability to use the USA PATRIOT Act to its full potential, which was big news in 2005 when this e-mail was released to the public.

Ross and Ciada (2005) describe library organizations’ reactions to the post 9/11 political climate: “To deal with the new informational and political landscapes, these organizations need both to inform their members and the community at large, as well as become more involved in the political and legislative processes that are responsible for enacting laws that could affect library services in the name of national security” (p. 108). They continue: “It is important, nevertheless, that the members of the library community in these difficult times have some sense of leadership and solidarity. In becoming active and involved, organizations such as the ALA are at the very least helping themselves to define and solidify their place and role in society” (p. 108).

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