New Library Director Comes from Saginaw
After a nationwide search, the Grand Rapids Public Library board stayed close to home to choose its new director.

The board voted unanimously Saturday to hire Marcia Warner, director of the Public Libraries of Saginaw. Warner also was endorsed by the Grand Rapids library's employees union.

"I come from a library system that is well supported by the community," Warner said. "You can just see from the buildings and services that (Grand Rapids) supports its libraries, too."

Warner was interviewed Friday and Saturday along with Mary Kaye Hooker, former director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System in Atlanta....

Grand Rapids citizens can be thankful that Mary Kaye Hooker will not be bringing her Texas-sized shopping cart of "ideas du jour" to their fair library.

As the library grapevine was discussing Ms. Hooker's chances of success in Grand Rapids, I was impressed by the number of staff who genuinely wished her well. Several explained their sentiments as "Christian charity." I envy their peace of mind, but have to wonder: in this case, is charity being used as another word for apathy?

For a long, long time to come, Fulton County will be coping with the debris left in the wake of five years of destruction. As we try to rebuild a library system for our citizens to use, may I suggest that employees recognize that it didn't have to be like this?

I don't want to encourage bitterness, which only saps the little signs of renewed optimism that we are beginning to feel, but at the same time, let's not pretend that these five terrible years didn't happen. They did.

Those who do not remember the lessons of the past will be condemned to repeat them.

[Signed] Once Bitten, Twice Shy

I am a former AFPL employee who is greatly relieved that Mary Kaye Hooker won't lay ruin to the Grand Rapids Public Library!

Both El Paso and Atlanta are still reeling from the hellish nightmare of her leadership. When I read on your website that she was a finalist for the library director, I honestly got down on my knees and seriously prayed to God that he would spare the people in Michigan from Hooker's wrath.

I experienced Hooker's terror first hand. I heard her plethora of wretched lies during every library board meeting. I personally witnessed her joyously jumping up and down, and celebrating in the hallway of the 6th floor whenever she fired an employee. I watched in horror as she intentionally destroyed the lives and careers of valuable staff people who loved this system and had served it for years! I listened to her boast that she was hated by staff, and was dumbstruck that she only became emboldened to spread misery and deceit. I was numb with disbelief after hearing her threaten a respected AFPL staff person, whom I later comforted as that person collapsed in tears! This woman was unmerciful without remorse!!

Finally, I became mentally and physically ill from suffering day after day at the hands of an indivdual who was without integrity, honor, decency, or morality. My tenure under Hooker landed me in intense psycho-analysis, and on some serious prescription medication. It took me a while to realize that I wasn't the sick one...she was!

Therefore, I can never...and will never...wish this woman well. I only pray that she permanently retires and gets the help that she so DESPERATELY NEEDS! It became plainly obvious to me that this woman was mentally disturbed. May no human being, or library system, ever have to endure the unbelievable hell that we endured for five years! NEVER AGAIN!

[Signed] Keeping the Faith!

Like the colleague "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" mentions, I also wish Ms. Hooker well, but for her to do well does not begin with getting the Director's job at another library. She will merely repeat the same mistakes there that she made here and in El Paso. For those who have read Atlas Shrugged, Ms. Hooker sees herself as Dagny Taggart, when actually she is Dagny's incompetent, self-absorbed brother.

Ms. Hooker came into an impossible situation here and kept her job by catering to the whims of her masters the Trustees, driving her underlings as with whips to make those whims into some semblance of service, and painting every change as "progress" and "forward momentum." A director of integrity, in the same impossible situation, would have resisted changes that damaged services. A director possessing true knowledge of how libraries work would have recognized a stupid idea when she saw it, and a director skilled in handling people would have found ways to dissuade the trustees from folly. A director with the slightest understanding of human nature would not have heralded a mass transfer of employees with months of "It's coming and you're not going to like it."

No, I don't wish another director's position on Hooker, any more than I wish Hooker on another library system. To wish her truly well is to wish healing for her mind. The woman needs professional help to recognize what her actual competencies are and find a job that uses them and avoids her weaknesses. Selling grits and collards in Seattle, say.

Long may she live and prosper, far away from us--and from other libraries too.

[Signed] "Frank Norris"

On Saturday, September 18, the Board of Library Commissioners will ask each candidate questions within a 60-minute period, followed by a 15-minute period wherein candidates may ask questions of the Board of Library Commissioners. The schedule for this process is as follows:

Marcia A. Warner: 9:00 -10:00 a.m., 10:00-10:15 a.m.
Mary Kaye Hooker: 10:30-11:30 a.m., 11:30-11:45 a.m.

Later in the day-long meeting of the Board of Library Commissioners, public comments on the candidates will be received from 2 - 2:20 p.m. Beginning at 2:20 p.m. the Board of Library Commissioners will enter into a final discussion with the intent that a new director will be selected.