Library Director Terminated by Library Board of Trustees

In a special meeting last Friday, May 31, the Library Board of Trustees voted to terminate Library Director C.L. Quillen by a vote of 3 -1. Quillen was hired in late April 2023 and served at the will of the Library Board, answering directly to them, unlike other county department heads who answer directly to the County Manager.  

Trustees Tara Price-Gritzmacher, Ashlee McGarity, and Jessica Rowe voted to terminate Quillen. Jo Petteruti opposed the action and voted no. After a contentious meeting, the fifth board seat was vacated on May 16 when the Chair, Kelli Kelly, resigned directly following the meeting. 

Quillen has come under fire as the library staff of 6.3 full-time equivalent positions has dwindled since February to the director and one 14-hour-a-week position. Although the adult services librarian retired in February, she had given six months' notice, and Quillen did not take that time to fill the position.  

During an emergency meeting on May 23, one day after the last full-time employee quit, the Library Board voted to close the library for a week to allow Quillen to regroup and hire temporary help through Manpower. The community expressed serious concern, expressed in public comment, that the Summer Reading Program, scheduled to begin on June 1, would not be able to serve the community because of the upheaval and the library closure.  

Chris Spross, Human Resources Director, said that because of the situation, county staff had contacted previous library director Carol Lloyd, who is willing to come back for an interim but is on the East Coast and won't return until the third week of June. Museum Director Mel Glover will provide oversight until she returns. Spross also contacted library staff who recently tendered resignations to see if they would return, and several expressed interest.  

According to Spross, that is possible because their exit paperwork had not yet been completed, and their departures were so recent. This would give the library two librarians and a part-time page to allow for the library to open and support Lloyd when she returns.  

Additionally, applications for the open librarian position have been reviewed, but no interviews have been scheduled, and the advertisement for a library assistant has just opened, Spross explained. Lloyd is willing to assist with looking at applications and staffing “from afar,” said Spross, while she travels back to Fallon. She will also be involved in the hiring process for the new library director.  

County Manager Jim Barbee explained that while Lloyd returns, Glover will give staff someone to interact with and go through in addition to Barbee and Spross.  

The process to bring Lloyd on will go before the County Commission in their regular meeting on June 6 to declare the library director position a critical needs position. Then, her name will be presented to the Library Board in a special meeting to hire her for the position.  

Barbee said Lloyd is willing to return for six months and will assist as much as possible on her return trip from the road.  

The Board approved Glover to serve in the interim and have the flexibility to set the schedule with the available staff to open the library the week of June 3. They also agreed to launch the Summer Reading Program, as planned, on June 1 with available staff and volunteers.

The library will be open on Tuesday, June 4, through Friday, June 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.