The Great Neck Library Board of Trustees on Tuesday appointed Chris Johnson, the library’s current interim assistant library director, as the new interim library director and selected a firm to conduct the search for a new permanent library director.
“We’ve all worked with Chris Johnson and we’re delighted she decided to take on this very rigorous task,” board President Marietta DiCamillo said at the board’s regularly scheduled meeting. “I’m sure she will do an outstanding job.”
Johnson takes the place of Laura Weir, who has been serving as interim director since January 2013. Weir, who joined the library system in 2002 as assistant director, retired effective Dec. 26.
Weir was named interim director after former director Jane Marino resigned on Dec. 28, 2012. Marino’s resignation followed the defeat of a $20.8 million bond referendum to renovate the Main Branch.
Trustees approved a salary of $135,000 a year for Johnson.
Efforts to reach Johnson were unavailing.
The board also voted to appoint Pro Libra Associates, a library service company out of Summit, N.J., to search for their next library director, approving a fee of no more than $30,000.
Board Vice President Francine Krupski said Pro Libra Associates was the only firm interviewed that offered to work for a flat fee.
But, Krupski said, the firm would tack on other fees as they came up in the search process.
She also said the firm agreed to redo its work if their selection was not approved by the board.
“They have worked with getting library directors,” Krupski said. “They’ve been in business since the 1970s. They also just impressed us during the interview.”
“They went through their entire strategy for us,” DiCamillo added. “They have different contacts.”
