The Rabid Librarian's Ravings in the Wind: Kathleen Imhoff

Showing posts with label Kathleen Imhoff. Show all posts

Friday, July 17, 2009

Well, that was foreseen

Lexington library board fires chief executive Kathleen Imhoff

Unfortunately there will most likely be a lawsuit on top of the controversy. But I must say, I've taken notes about what to and not to do as a supervisor, how the balance between library board and directors are important, and being accountable for expenditures when the majority of your income is tax-based. And also, of course, that politics is never absent when it comes to publicly-funded libraries. Here's hoping they find a really good candidate who will help repair the damage, as I suspect the outcome of any suit would be either a settlement or the rest of the money in the contract, rather than her position back.

Thanks to Steven for the head's up, which is ironic, as it's my hometown paper [my only excuse is that I was out of the office today due to doctors' appointments, so I didn't see the paper itself]. :) Oh, and sorry, the Herald-Leader only keeps stories up for about 7 days, so go read it now.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

More on the library finances situation

Questioning Expenses in Lexington, KY

Library finances: Checking out the books
(an in-depth look at the expenses of the library director) [link good for 7 days]

Kathleen Imhoff, the Lexington Public Library's chief executive officer, spent more than $134,000 in five years on national and international travel, scores of meals at upscale Lexington restaurants, gifts for employees and board members, and other items, mostly on her library credit card.

Imhoff and her superiors on the library board of trustees defend her spending as appropriate for a high-profile businesswoman running a $15 million-a-year institution.

"The board hired me for several reasons, and among those was to increase library usage, to get the library more known in the community and to be an ambassador for the library, regionally, nationally and internationally," said Imhoff, 63, in a recent interview.