No action is taken as residents plead for librarian’s reinstatement
The Union County Public Library System Board met Tuesday, three months after their meeting was originally scheduled, where they heard from concerned residents who pleaded for the reinstatement of former children’s librarian Karla Nelson.
Nelson was terminated from her position at the library on Nov. 17, 2022. There was an immediate outcry from parents whose children benefited from Nelson’s programming at the Barton Library, who planned to seek an explanation from the Library Board at their next meeting last December.
However, due to alleged harassment of library staff and Board members, the meeting was postponed indefinitely until this week, when the Board set aside time for public comments following regular business discussions.
In attendance at Tuesday’s meeting were Nelson, Union County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Stinson and other local residents, most of whom came to protest Nelson’s firing.
Dana Burke, speaking on behalf of a group of parents who organized ahead of the meeting through a “Ms. Karla Nelson Advocacy Group” page on Facebook, presented a petition with more than 1,000 signatures calling for Nelson’s reinstatement.
“The petition for the reinstatement of Karla Nelson at the Barton Library ran from November to February 27. It had a total of 1,057 signatures. Seven-hundred four were noted as being from Arkansas; 569 denoted Union County as their zip code; 539 denoted El Dorado as their town; and 39 of the 1,057 respondents made impact statements,” Burke said.
Several residents who were in attendance ceded their allotted three minutes of speaking time to Burke, who used it to read aloud all 39 impact statements submitted by members of the Facebook group.
“Rachelle Wardell says, ‘Ms. Karla’s summer reading program got my twins interested in independent reading at a crucial time in their lives,’” Burke read. “Debbie Blackmon says, ‘Ms. Karla was so helpful when I came to get my grandkids books to read. She always helped us find books on their grade level and books on subjects they were interested in. She always made time.”
Other impact statements talked about how Nelson’s programs gave adults a way to meet other parents.
“Amanda Rutherford said,
‘Ms. Karla and the children’s program made me and my daughter feel welcome in El Dorado when no one else did… It is the sole reason that I’ve made countless connections that have flourished into true relationships and friendships that have filled my previously empty schedule. I owe every friend I currently have to Karla and the program,’” Burke read.
Another petitioner wrote about Nelson’s work with veterans. She often involved Project SOUTH in the library’s Story Time sessions and other children’s programs.
“Jessica Williams says, ‘I’m more of a quiet person but I will say this… I am a veteran myself. I help so many veterans and their spouses; Karla did the same in her own way. Do you ever think that having veterans read to our growing youth would help? She did and she made it happen, and it does. It helps anxiety and PTSD. It shows kids that there are people that will be there for them,’” Burke read.
Several other local residents in attendance also took the opportunity to share their thoughts with the Board. Melody Tolbert highlighted the prevalence of screens, and said the library was a refuge for children and parents looking to foster a love of reading.
“In a world dominated by screens, Karla Nelson lovingly carved out a world dedicated to reading and play in Barton Library’s children’s room – a place where little ones were introduced to the written word, older children received personalized recommendations based on their ability and interests and teenagers were seen, heard and encouraged to continue reading in a world full of distractions and risk,” Tolbert said.
Abbey Thomas painted a picture of a typical Story Time at Barton Library when Nelson worked there. The event, where children and parents of all ages and races were welcome, always started with a game and a song, followed by at least three books being read aloud. After that, children would work with their parents to make a craft related to the books they’d read, Thomas said.
“I had no idea how to approach my kid in reading a book, and I learned from Ms. Karla little lessons like that,” Thomas said. “There’s not kids in there staring at their screens; there’s not kids out of control. There’s kids learning. They’re playing with toys, they’re talking to each other. There’s moms talking to each other, they’re not staring at their screens. That’s what you see when you walk in.”
The UCPLS Board did not take any action or discuss any of the public comments made. Earlier in the meeting, UCPLS Executive Director Michael O’Connell painted a dire financial picture for the local libraries, stating that the system had only two months worth of funding on hand.
On Friday, O’Connell said the Library Board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for March 27, at 4 p.m. at the Barton Library. While the meeting’s agenda had not yet been set by Friday, O’Connell said the UCPLS currently doesn’t have plans to hire a full-time children’s librarian.
“Any discussion regarding former or current employees would occur only in executive session,” he said. “We do not have plans to hire a full-time Youth Services staff member. We do hope to hire a part-time person as soon as our budgetary issues are resolved.”