Caring people

    First I would like to thank Miss. United Methodist Disaster Response for putting me a new roof on my home about two years ago. Mr. Buddy Cox was instrumental in getting it done.

    Next, I would like to thank Multi County Weatherization program for weatherizing my home and also replacing my hot water tank. Also, the manager at Lowe’s for the extra help I needed for my tank. A special thanks also goes to Deke Cross for going above and beyond to see that I had water, etc. while my tank was being installed. I am 81 years old and live in the house where I was born. It’s good to know there are still caring people.

Ida C. Durham

Meridian

 

To the people of Meridian

and Lauderdale County

    I am Sarah Mutziger, a local storyteller and former employee of the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library.

    Next week, on Wednesday September 15 at 7:30 am at Jean’s Restaurant, I will exercise my rights of citizenship and attend the publically open meeting of the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library Board of Trustees.

    If you go to the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library web site and click on the Trustees button, it tells you that the Library Board meeting takes place at Jean’s Restaurant, at 7:30am.  But,  nowhere does it say who the trustees are or how to contact any of them.

    I love the Library.  Actually, I love all libraries and enjoy visiting them when I travel.  But, there are things about our library that make me sad and that I wish to address as constructively as possible.

    This has caused me to reflect on how eternally grateful I am to live in a country where attending public board meetings and participating in due process is both my legal right and ethical obligation. I could wax on and on philosophically about how great and precious and fragile that legal right is for all of us. But as I take action out of ethical obligations, I have paused to muster some courage. I also did some homework about tasks and functions of Library Trustees.  I learned a lot.  They govern the Library for all of us, the tax payers. The Trustees answer to us. The Director answers to them. WE are SUPPOSED to interact with them. They will be better governors if WE do.

    My first agenda item for the Trustees is to ask them to become more visible and accessible.  They can use the Library web site to present their names, with little photos, length of time in service, what district in the county they represent, how to communicate with them and when they meet. In addition I would like more visibility of Library business and have learned that many Libraries do this via computer technology. From the Library web site our Board could share; a vision statement, post the budget and a budget summary as the year progresses, post board meeting minutes and the upcoming board meeting agenda within a week of the date.  With a click, we could see all of this.

    Our Trustees are all appointed volunteers.  To be a Trustee is a huge commitment.  Whoever they are, they deserve our thanks and appreciation, and they surely need our input.   We need to hold them accountable and they need to hold us accountable.

    My second agenda item is to ask the Board to evaluate the job performance of our Library Director Steve McCartney and to make the Director evaluation an annual function of their regular business. This is a normal function that gets done routinely by most library Trustees for other Libraries. I will offer them an example ( sample) evaluation form from the Clinton-Maccomb  Library system.

    I worked there for a little over 4 years. I loved my job and work, and colleagues but I came to view his leadership style as a serious hindrance. In my opinion, he is a controlling micro manager. I think that it seriously interferes with the full flourishing of the library as a community resource.  On the other side of my criticism, I am also aware that he is a dedicated, passionate, smart, hard-working director.

    I would love to become active in re-establishing the “Friends” of the library but also realized that I would not succeed at that because of the Director’s Leadership style.  It may be a simple as two personalities clashing.

    I will put all of this before the Board next week and invite others to join me. It is scary to stand up in public and be critical of a person who has been in service for so long and has so many good qualities.  But, I trust the process. I think that the Board owes the community an evaluation and that it should be incorporated into their annual business.  On the bright side, for all of you who are thinking that our Director is sterling and exemplary and that I am out-of-my-mind to have these concerns, a board-generated evaluation will exonerate him and also satisfy me. I am not trying to control outcomes. I am participating in due process. I welcome participation and input from others who share my concerns. Even if you completely disagree with me, isn’t it great that you can?

Sarah Mutziger

Meridian