ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 13, 1997 TAG: 9704140013
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: GUEST COLUMN
SOURCE: JEAN SCOTT
I am writing in reference to the April 1 article "Library searches for director, common vision" about the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library system and its former director, Karen Dillon.
I am not employed by the library system. I am a patron of the library, and I have had contact with the staff of all three libraries in Floyd, Christiansburg and Blacksburg as I conducted assertiveness-training programs for employees at the request of Karen Dillon.
I found Ms. Dillon to be a very intelligent, energetic, well-informed and hard-working person. For the first time, the Floyd library began to receive much-deserved attention. Karen gave us this. We no longer felt like the forgotten stepchild. Karen was always there for the staff and for those of us who were members of the Friends of the Library.
I feel that Library Board Chairman Jim Johnson might have listened to only one group of dissatisfied workers. I attended a meeting one time, in Christiansburg, as a representative of the Floyd Friends of the Library. I will never forget the angry, hostile, argumentative and uncooperative behavior shown by one worker representing the Christiansburg library. What is that old saying? "The squeaky wheel gets the grease"?
Well, I can imagine this type of person, speaking loudly and frequently to the "powers that be" - the board - and the end result being that we lost a fine director of the library system.
I read the article, and I quote from it: "Others said she was difficult to deal with and couldn't relate to people in this part of the state." How ridiculous can you be? It is time "people in this part of the state" - whoever you are - realize that we now have people who have moved into Southwest Virginia from all over the United States and from other countries. Therefore, you deal with a variety of people.
I do not know Jim Johnson, but quoting the newspaper again he said, "It came down to the technical people against those people who interface with the public. If the board has to choose sides, we'll choose the latter because we're not going to be around if we're not serving the public."
I am not even going to comment on what this statement tells me about Johnson. I believe any forward-thinking person will decide that this library system is more comfortable with things "the way they've always been - please, no changes, don't learn new ways, just rest on your laurels, so to speak." What a pity.
When I read the article in Current, I ended up with the impression that I had wasted my time talking to the reporter. I end this by saying that the newspaper article was not any more fair to Karen Dillon than the board and some of the workers have been. I feel Karen Dillon is owed an apology and personally she is probably better off not putting up with the situation within the Montgomery County system. I'm leaving Floyd out of it! We were fond of her! And sorry to lose her.
Jean Scott
Floyd
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