Tara Painter Leaving Glenwood Library Director Position

Glenwood is in the market for a new library director.

Tara Painter, who has served as Glenwood Public Library Director for the past 10 years, submitted her resignation to the Glenwood Public Library Board Of Trustees in May after accepting the director’s position at the Harlan Community Library. June 4 is her last day on the job in Glenwood.

In her resignation letter, Painter said “it’s been a joy” to serve as Glenwood’s library director for the past decade, but also shared her disappointment in the manner city officials went about imposing budget and staff reductions at the library as part of the budgeting process.

“While the last few months have been difficult, the most disappointing part of the process was that at no time did any member of city council nor city administration express any sympathy to the library employees about serious life changes that the staff would be facing through no fault of their own,” she said. “Not the employees leaving and not the employees who were staying.

“These dedicated library workers felt dismissed and undervalued. The lack of respect was palatable.”

Painter voiced her appreciation for community members who have stepped up publicly in support of the library and its employees over the past three months.

She also thanked the library board for its support in helping address a decades-old basement flooding issue that she hopes is finally resolved.

“I am proud of the strides we made in the library infrastructure, in particular (hopefully) having resolved the basement flooding that has plagued the library for decades (in two places),” said Painter.

Kate Wilson, Glenwood Library Board Of Trustees President, praised Painter for her leadership and advocacy during her tenure as library director.

“Tara has been the library director for almost 10 years in Glenwood.  She has played a key role in many of the updates in our library, including the updated children’s area, improving the ramp to the basement, the vestibule entrance and many other projects.  She has also implemented many programs that our patrons love and rave about,” she said. “Our children’s summer reading program has been a success for many years and has a fantastic turn out thanks to the guidance, support and leadership from Tara.

“Tara has a passion for the library and advocates for what is best for the library and we wish her the best in her new adventure.”

There will not be an interim director. Wilson said the library has “amazing employees” on staff who will manage operations of the library while the search for a new director is conducted.

“We are hoping to find someone who has experience in library services as well as has a background with technology. Someone who has strong communication skills and can lead staff in a cooperative and collaborative way, maintain positive relationships with city officials and community members,” she said.  “We want to continue to have the library be a positive experience for our community.”

Wilson and fellow library board members are hopeful the recent cuts to the library’s budget won’t hinder the search for Painter’s replacement.

“We are trying to be competitive in our salary for the library director,” she said. “I think funding cuts are something that many departments/communities have been facing and we at the library are trying to make the best of a not fantastic situation.

We will work hard as a library board to find a quality library director.”

Asked how the funding and staffing reduction has affected library employees, Wilson conceded it’s a difficult situation.

“Anytime budget cuts occur, it will be tough on any department/ organization, the library is no different,” she said. “Of course anytime positions are eliminated, staff morale will be affected. We are lucky to have employees that truly care about the patrons in our community and have been working hard and stepping up with the reduction of positions.”

Joe George, also a member of Glenwood Public Library Board Of Trustees, noted that under Iowa law, the library board is responsible for hiring the director, even though funding for the department is allocated by the city council.

“Under Iowa code, it is solely the responsibility of the library board to hire the director,” he said. “Of course, being a city employee, there is coordination between the city and library board, but the overall hiring lies on the vote of a the full library board.

“We set the salary for the role, but the city council sets the library’s overall budget. The city’s role is to give us a total dollar amount that we are allowed to expend and then the library board has the authority to expend those funds how we see necessary.”

George said the director’s job has been posted and the search will take as long as necessary.