Crawford County board picks White to be interim director of library system

VAN BUREN — The Crawford County Library System Board brought in a familiar face to lead the system following the exit of their previous director amidst an ongoing controversy.

The board unanimously voted to appoint Eva White as the library system’s interim director at a special meeting Friday. White was the only nominee for the position.

Tammi Hamby, the library board’s chairwoman, said White will start work Monday. White’s salary will be the same as that of the regular library system director, which Hamby estimated at “around $50,000” per year.

White said she had served as library system director before from 1999 to 2012 and again from 2013 to January 2021. She hopes to do well at being an interim librarian and bring the community together to work together for the library.

“I want to see our library still prosper, and at this point, I don’t see that it is,” White said.

White replaces Deidre Grzymala, who left her position Friday in accordance with a separation agreement between her, Crawford County, the library system and Van Buren Public Library. She began working as director July 5, according to the County Clerk’s Office.

Gentry Wahlmeier, an attorney representing the county, said Tuesday he and an attorney representing Grzymala negotiated the terms for her “voluntary resignation,” although he declined to provide details on the circumstances surrounding it. One of the terms of the separation agreement is that Grzymala, the county and library system will not “criticize, denigrate or disparage” one another in certain ways.

The Crawford County Quorum Court approved providing Grzymala $40,688 in severance Tuesday, also per the terms of the agreement. The county will also continue paying her health and dental benefit premiums through Sept. 1.

Hamby declined to comment on Grzymala’s departure Friday. She said although the library board will work to select a regular system director as quickly as possible, it has to go through “the proper channels” in terms of advertising, interviewing candidates and other factors.

This all comes as the River Valley City Elders, a local Christian community organization, has been campaigning against the inclusion and public display of children’s books with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning themes within the library system, according to an Arkansas Times article published Monday. The board is due to discuss a proposal Hamby made in January that the board review the purchase and donation of all library books at its meeting March 14.

White replaces Deidre Grzymala, who left her position Friday in accordance with a separation agreement between her, Crawford County, the library system and Van Buren Public Library.