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By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Sonoma County’s embattled library director defended herself Thursday against criticism by the grand
Sandra Cooper (CHRISTOPHER CHUNG/ PD)
jury and county supervisors that she has alienated people and made arbitrary decisions to the detriment of the public and her staff.
“There are people who don’t like the way I run the library, but that’s always going to be part of the mix,” Sandra Cooper said Thursday from her second-floor office at the main library branch in Santa Rosa.
Cooper acknowledged room for improvement without offering any specifics on what she would change. She said she has been subjected to personal attacks by people who have their own agenda, including from the union representing 138 library employees.
“I certainly have some of the staff’s support, but part of the problem with this agency is that there is a culture of distrust that was here a long time before I came. That’s been very difficult to get past,” she said.
A county grand jury report released this week claimed that Cooper, who was hired as director in 2005, is an “unresponsive” leader who “undermines the spirit” of the 1975 joint powers agreement that created the county’s modern library system.
Cooper declined to comment in detail on the nine-page report. She said she will work with the library commission, which has authority over her job, to respond to the report’s findings.
She did, however, respond to criticism from county supervisors, who earlier in the week grilled Cooper during a budget hearing. Supervisors are calling for a revision of the library’s operating agreement that could give them more oversight of the director’s job, including possibly the power to fire her.
The commission’s seven members, who currently have sole authority over the position, are appointed by the five county supervisors and by city councils in Santa Rosa and Petaluma.
Cooper said supervisors had a “legitimate concern” about her not keeping them informed on what’s happening at the library. She said she also understands their frustration when they receive complaints about the library from their constituents.
She said the decision to close libraries on Mondays to save money has been a particular “lightning rod” that has prompted people to contact supervisors in the mistaken belief that the library is under county control.
She said supervisors “feel they can’t do anything about it, which is frustrating for them. I understand that.”
Cooper did not outline any immediate efforts to address these concerns, other than to meet with supervisors “to find out what they need for better communications.”
She said she supports revising the library’s operating agreement, so long as it “retains the original spirit” of all county residents benefitting from the services.
Cooper’s position pays a base salary of $150,820, plus an additional $39,829 in benefits.
“I think in spite of what people have said, I’m focused on the stewardship of the library and making sure the people of Sonoma County have the best library they can have,” she said.
Cooper addressed one specific claim in the grand jury report, which is that she failed after three years to order equipment for the Guerneville library that was paid for in donations raised by a library support group.
Cooper said she did not have enough staff to complete the purchase. The money was refunded to the group two weeks ago.
“When we started going down financially, there wasn’t enough people to do the work that needs to be done,” she said. “It’s constant triage and that (the equipment purchase) kept falling through the cracks.”
The library commission’s next monthly meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Sonoma Valley Regional Library. The agenda includes a discussion of how to respond to the grand jury report.
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Mockingbird, glad we can agree on something, lol.
Yes, the wonderful people who staff the libraries are having a lot put on their shoulders in this time of tough budgets, and the director (and commission) needs to be their support system, not their adversary. No employee, employer relationship is going to be a completely smooth ride, but there must be honest, transparent, and respectful communication. That seems to be lacking, as was mentioned by some last night at the library commission meeting.
Kirstin-the very first time I’ve agreed with you. Something you didn’t say is that when morale among the employees you “manage” is in the toilet there is something wrong with what you are doing. The employees know their jobs and do it well. When management PREVENTS a good job from being done, then management is what needs to be changed. The fact that this has come to the Grand Jury’s attentions says to me that the problems are serious and she’s the root.
Looks like we have some of the same issues we had with Sonoma County Animal Control. Amy Cooper doing a good job and being fired.
WHAT are they spending money that is current and more important than e-books? Not much. They are following the old school business model and simply trying to protect librarian jobs because e-books require less library staff. That much is obvious.
Wow when I read this article I thought Jill ravitch was finally getting investigated for cronyism and mismanagement. All her firings and all
Good job grand jury. Can you swing by the District Attorneys office and conduct a similar investigation on the department head? Lot of good people have “left” and more will fall.
As a library patron, my preference would ideally be that the current director and commission could continue to manage the system. I’ve got no personal bone to pick with anyone there.
But I was dismayed at what I read in the grand jury report. This isn’t kindergarten, where one takes one’s toys and won’t play with the rest of the group, is it? This also isn’t Capt. Queeg’s ship, with a petty chief executive, is it? Well…frankly, one might mistake this library system for both right now. Very dismaying and indicative that change/reform is seriously needed.
As for the comments above:
I’m sorry, Ms. Cooper, but your excuse regarding why you didn’t complete the Guerneville purchase is completely lame. These people raised the money, and looked to you in good faith. But you couldn’t help them? That’s not acceptable.
Your comments still indicate a lack of understanding that it is the public that must come first. Somehow, you seem to think the patrons are an annoyance rather than the life’s blood of the library. That’s not acceptable either.
You have been director over six years, Ms. Cooper. If you haven’t been able to adjust to the system here in that time, how can you ever?
We, the public, don’t have to be patient any more. It is time for the library authority to recognize and fix shortcomings that are affecting us all.
If it was just fine with her that porn is free and scum are free to enjoy it at our public libraries, then it’s just fine with me that she get fired.
Ever since the SoCo libraries became all-day homeless shelters(with Cooper’s blessing)I have not set foot in one, nor shall I.
Enjoy your retirement!