PICKENS COUNTY — The Pickens County Library Board held a special-called meeting on March 6, voting on four major items — including recommending a candidate for interim director.
Perviously, the board voted to terminate executive director Stephanie Howard, a Pickens County native who had more than 20 years of library management experience. No explanation has been given for Howard’s termination, with board members saying they couldn’t discuss personnel matters.
The board voted to recommend Bruce Heimburger for the interim director position. Board Chair Danny Parton described Heimburger as a librarian with decades of experience from the Lexington area.
Originally from Michigan, Heimburger moved to South Carolina in the 1970s and serves as an elder at Riverbend Community Church, a non-denominational evangelical church in Lexington, according to the church’s website.
Parton said Heimburger will still need to go through the hiring process, a background check and salary negotiations with Pickens County’s administrator and human resources department.
Heimburger does not want the position permanently, according to the board. If approved by the county, the board said Heimburger could start in mid-March.
The board also voted to restart more than a dozen children’s programs that had been cancelled amid ongoing controversy. Those programs are set to return next week, phased in a few at a time.
“Pickens County community, welcome back to your library with programs,” Parton said.
Additionally, the board voted to pause its collection policy implementation process, holding the book review process until the new interim director takes over.
“I’m not sure which direction our interim will head in that direction as far as. But, I don’t really know where the 86-thousand books and the process they’re taking. I can’t even begin to tell you what that looks like,” Parton said.
The board also voted to move future meetings 30 minutes earlier to accommodate the potential new interim director.
Community members packed the library during the meeting, which included a closed-door interview with the interim director candidate.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for March 19 at the Capt. Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley.
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