Quincy Public Library director on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons

QUINCY — The blank pages to the story of what’s happening to the Quincy Public Library’s executive director are creating a cliffhanger that may or may not be answered at the next library board meeting.

What Muddy River News can report as the only media outlet at a special meeting Saturday is that Executive Director Kathleen Helsabeck is on administrative leave for reasons the board won’t say.

Instead, the board tabled any further discussion about her future employment or discipline following about 20 minutes of public discussion from half a dozen of her supporters and nearly two additional hours of private conversation in executive session.

The Executive Director of the group called Reaching Across Illinois Library System or RAILS spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. Monica Harris lauded Helsabeck for many accomplishments since she was selected to lead QPL in October of 2018. Namely, the return of the book mobile after more than 20 years off the road.

“That cost more than $300,000 and was paid for entirely through … grants and donations,” Harris reminded the board. She also credited Helsabeck with expanding data bases for career preparation and language instruction. “She also worked to extend library hours for patrons in direct response to patron feedback.”

Several community members echoed those sentiments. Nobody critical of Helsabeck spoke.

The board then went into executive session which included Helsabeck for a time. She declined to be interviewed after emerging from that session and then spoke with supporters before entering an adjoining room with her husband. They spoke privately with attorney Jim Palmer who was representing the board.

Helsabeck advocate Angela Ketteman, who served on the library board for 16 years before resigning a year ago, said there might be questions about the process of removing items from the library’s collection that are deemed no longer useful. Sometimes referred to as deselection or “weeding.”

“I feel that she has helped grow this library,” Ketteman told MRN. “She’s reached out the public, has tried to work very hard with the staff. My understanding is that there was an issue with some weeding of some books. I’m not positive that’s the only issue. It would be nice if we knew. I don’t know if she knows what the exact issue is.”

Attorney Palmer bounced between the room containing 6 of the 9 board members and the one containing Helsabeck and her husband. Board President Jon Hoover and members Cheryl Predmore and Dr. Harry Ruth were not in attendance.

Palmer at one point was heard telling the board that only one sticking point remained, but again both sides refused to answer when MRN asked for specifics.

Helsabeck supporter Bill Stalder said he worried that if too much is left up to speculation, the more damage that will be done.

“There are a lot of folks who are disappointed in how this has played out,” he said. “I’ve known Katie and her family for many years. She’s a woman of character. She is so dedicated to this board, this profession. I know we all make mistakes in life. We all have decisions that maybe the majority don’t agree with. That’s not cause to throw them away.”

After repeated back and forth with the attorney, behind closed doors, the board concluded the meeting by tabling a decision.

All the while library patrons bustled in and out. Competitors of a puzzle competition moved through the lobby celebrating their victory as mothers lead a line of children to the shelves for their summer reading selection. All seemingly oblivious to the page turner under way.

“We’re not privy to the specifics of why this has come to this point,” Stalder said. “It’s probably board policy not to discuss anything related to personnel. I’ve served on enough boards where I can respect that. But regardless of how this comes out, I hope this is talked about, is made public, and further examined as needed.”

Public meetings of the Quincy Public Library Board of Trustees are the third Tuesday of each month, which makes the next regularly scheduled meeting August 19.