Mount Shasta removes longtime library director, urges move in a ‘new direction’

Amid calls for expanded operating hours, questions around library displays and other issues, the city of Mount Shasta abruptly ended its contract with its library director. 

Courtney Laverty, who has served as Mount Shasta Library director for seven years, was told on June 1 that the library advisory committee and the city “decided to move in a new direction and will not be renewing the Professional Services Agreement,” according to a letter Laverty received from City Manager Todd Juhasz. Even though Laverty’s contract was set to run through June 30, she was told to turn in her keys “as soon as possible.” Laverty was paid through June 30. 

“The trustees of the Library — the Library Tax Advisory Committee — all complained about her not meeting the requirements of the contract,” said Juhasz, via email. “They made the collective decision to not renew after it was made clear that Ms. Laverty was unwilling to address the deficiencies.”

Laverty disputed the characterization. 

“It’s difficult to correct something when you don’t even know what you’re being guided to,” she said. “I’m not really sure what they were looking for.”

“I have put my heart and soul into this library and this community for the past seven years. I simply don’t understand,” Laverty added. “Honest to God, I have no idea what happened. No one will talk to me. I have not heard a peep from anyone on LTAC, anyone from the Friends of the Library. Nobody on City Council." 

What is known is the library advisory committee listed four areas of library operations where it wanted to see changes: increased hours of operation, cooperation and coordination with volunteer groups, programing and developing a policy for displays in coordination with the American Library Association guidelines. 

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On the issue of displays, some of the controversy seems to revolve around COVID-19 information the library had on display, which disputed the efficacy of masking policies and the effectiveness of vaccines, according to Betty Kreeger, a former member of LTAC and one of Laverty's supporters. 

“Those who questioned any of that— whether doctor, scientist, senator, lawyer or citizen — their voice was silenced,” said Kreeger. “That is what LTAC and Todd Juhasz have done to Courtney.” 

Kreeger stressed Laverty was not pushing an agenda along any lines, but simply putting information on the table in an easily-accessible format.

 “I had not written up a policy,” she noted. “I didn’t have a ‘display’ policy written on a piece of paper.” 

With the exception of increasing the facility’s hours of operation, Laverty said, the four issues outlined by LTAC were “very vague." Laverty also said she was not given the opportunity address these issues.  

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"I tried to meet with people. I made an appointment to meet with the city manager to discuss it and was never really given that opportunity,” said Laverty. “If I was given the chance to fix some of these things, obviously, I would have.” 

Laverty contends she was open to extending the library’s hours of operation, but ran into staffing challenges.  

“I had been trying to increase my staff,” she said, adding, some people who were hired “didn’t work out.”

When it comes to programing after school and summer reading events, Laverty says she had these set up and ready to go forward.

As far as volunteers — which was one of the “four issues” LTAC member Ted Marconi listed for the Mount Shasta City Council during the meeting’s June 12 public comment section, Laverty says she’s not clear what direction the advisory committee wanted her to take.

She said: “Did they want me to have volunteers do the work of paid staff?”

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Volunteers are not always reliable, said Laverty, particularly during times of inclement weather and other obstacles, adding that depending on volunteers “is not a reliable way to professionally run the library.” 

LTAC member Marconi did not reply to an email seeking comment. Cheryl Bauer, who leads the Friends of the Library nonprofit and is also a member of LTAC, did not return a message for her left at the library. The nonprofit is operating the library until a new private contractor is hired. A request for proposals, which will officially advertise the library management position, is expected to be released in the coming days, said Juhasz. 

“From my perspective, putting proposed future contracts out to bid can be in a city's and community's best interests,” said Tim Spears, a member of the Mount Shasta City Council. “Undoubtedly, if Courtney's company bids for the new library contract, the city will consider her company's past performance and community support, as well as considering the qualifications, performance and financial proposals of any other company that bids for the contract.”

Laverty is unsure about whether or not she will apply to the RFP, saying “until the RFP is out, I don’t even know what they’re looking for.”

The Mount Shasta Library is one of 12 branches in the Siskiyou County Library system. Under a memorandum of understanding, the county provides materials and the city of Mount Shasta provides the building, staffing, computers and other materials through a dedicated sales tax. The library is currently pursuing a state grant for funding to help finance an expansion project. LTAC will remain involved with the project, choosing an architect and engineering team, said Juhasz.

The abrupt move to remove Laverty was surprising, said Kreeger, a former member of LTAC.

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“In my opinion, it was a ruse that they let Courtney go regarding those four leadership items,” Kreeger told the Siskiyou Daily News. “All information Courtney had displayed in the library on the table and on the new non-fiction shelves were definitely not inaccurate or misleading.”

Marconi, who disagreed that Laverty was fired, said the issues he identified were shared with Laverty in early May. “My understanding of that was she indicated that she wasn’t intent on meeting any of those four requirements. They were not possible, or not something she wanted to do,” he told the council. 

Similarly, Tessa Clure, mayor of Mount Shasta, said Laverty "was not compliant with her contract in several areas and was unwilling to address these deficiencies. Therefore, a decision was made to not renew her contract.” 

Laverty maintains a different view of the recent series of events. 

“I just don’t understand what’s going on,” she said. “I have no idea. No one’s talking to me. I feel like I was dismissed not for the reasons stated." 

Laverty added that “I have never, ever, ever been fired before in my life. There’s never been any trouble. I would understand if I was doing a really bad job.”