Trustees of the Oak Park Public Library board voted Saturday to fire the library director because of “a persistent lack of alignment” in priorities with the board, officials announced in a statement.
The termination of Executive Director Joslyn Bowling Dixon during the weekend special meeting came about two months after controversy brewed over a Palestinian culture program held at the library in January – though board officials said in the statement no “one incident or action” prompted their decision.
“Simply put, the supportive and collaborative working relationship between us (the board and executive director), which is absolutely essential to advance the strategic vision and plan based on the needs of our community, has been damaged. The resulting confusion, miscommunication and distrust, both internally and externally, has critically impacted our ability to move forward together” and led to the termination, trustees wrote, collectively, in the statement.
Dixon, who was hired as the library leader in November 2022 after a national search, told Pioneer Press she “is currently consulting with [her] attorney and has no comment at this time.”
A library board member read the trustees’ statement at the end of the special meeting Saturday, following their vote to terminate Dixon.
“While we have heard and deliberately considered the extensive staff and community input received over recent weeks — both positive and negative — regarding the day-to-day management, decision-making and operations of the Library, this difficult decision was not based on” a singular act, the board’s statement reads. “Rather, it was a consistent pattern, observed over many months, of a persistent lack of alignment between the priorities of the Board and the Executive Director that prompted this decision.”
It was not immediately clear what about that Jan. 21 program held at the library stoked controversy. Pioneer Press reached out to the library board president, Matthew Fruth, for more details but was referred back to the prepared statement.
Celebration of Palestinian Culture was organized by the Oak Park Neighbors for Justice and Peace and the River Forest High School Middle Eastern and North African Student Alliance. Representatives from those groups could not be immediately reached for comment Monday. Also, since the library is a separate entity from the village of Oak Park government and board, a spokesman told Pioneer Press the village would not comment on the matter.
The library board statement explained that trustees will be looking into the Jan. 21 program “to gain a better understanding of the library’s actions regarding the planning and implementation of the Palestinian Cultural Event. We want to be sure that our protocols and procedures for community events and facility usage and rentals moving forward are clear, consistent and fair.”
Further, the board plans to move “with haste” to put an interim executive director in place. A target date for that is April 23. Another national search will be conducted to find a permanent leader, according to the statement. As part of that hiring process, trustees plan to hire a consultant, and also get community involvement and input.
Deputy Director Suzy Wulf and Director of Collections Leigh Tarullo have been named temporary interim co-directors, the release explains.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.