Oak Park Public Library’s Board of Trustees fired Executive Director Joslyn Bowling Dixon March 16 at a public special meeting.
The reasons have created confusion among the community – and rightly so. The public battle hinged on a confusing internal struggle.
However, the problems inside the library, according to the board of trustees and some employees, were bigger than any one event.
Wednesday Journal breaks down what has happened with the library since January.
What started the controversy?
OPPL started receiving public backlash in late February over how a Palestinian cultural event was handled by the library’s leadership team, and Dixon’s elimination of two community engagement staff positions.
An organizer of a Palestinian cultural event, Rebekah Levin, spoke in the public comment section of the Feb. 27 library board meeting, saying the group believed the event was supported by the library. That means organizers believed it would be promoted on the library calendar and on social media.
Levin said library staff later informed organizers the event would not be posted on the calendar or social media or have a flyer created, which was previously discussed, because it was not a “library-led” event. They also requested a larger room and staff members, who requested anonymity because they feared for their jobs, said library leaders internally denied the request and tried to move the group to a smaller room.
The organizers were upset over what they said was unequal treatment. Other festivals and programs, such as the one for the Asian-American community, were considered “library-led” events and received the benefits that came with it. Some questioned whether race and ethnicity were behind the decisions because the group consisted primarily of people of Palestinian descent, as well as their supporters.
What is the difference between a community event and a library-led event?
A community event, staff members said, is an approved public reservation designation for baby showers or other small gatherings. Rooms are reserved by the members of the public. Dixon told Wednesday Journal community events are not advertised by the library.
A library-led event relies on collaboration with the library for promotion and help with room selection. The library also assists with planning. Rooms are reserved by staff members only.
So what happened next?
In December, Levin inquired about reserving a bigger room. She was denied because the designation on the event’s reservation page said “this is not a library-led event.”
On Dec. 13, Dixon asked the multicultural learning coordinator, Juanta Griffin, who had recently returned from medical leave, whether the event was a library-led one. Griffin had begun planning the event, but staff member Claire Ong took over while Griffin was out.
In an email to Dixon, Griffin wrote: “In regards to this event, I am approaching it as I do the Asian American Heritage Festival, as a collaboration. We will pull books, provide space, help with set up, and allow the group to celebrate their heritage in a safe space. It is not a library event, however, we do offer basic library support to these community members.”
On Dec. 20, Dixon again questioned the reservation. She directed staff on the email, who included Griffin, Deputy Director Suzy Wulf, Communications and Development Director Jodi Kolo and Community Engagement Manager Chibuike Enyia to change the event’s listing on the calendar to “community” event. She cited Griffin’s Dec. 13 email as the reason.
“I would normally not intercede,” she wrote, “but this was a discussion before Suzy began this week that I was keeping an eye on.”
Dixon directed the change to be made and staff members said she expected the staff’s assistance with the event to slow or stop. However, some staff members participated anyway, saying that the distinction between “library-led” and “community” events was never made clear to them, and they opted to comply with the “spirit” of Griffin’s email. They had assisted with other cultural events and saw no reason why they shouldn’t with this one.
Who are the groups involved in the cultural event?
The event was sponsored by Oak Park Neighbors for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel and the Oak Park and River Forest High School Middle Eastern/North African Student Alliance.
More than 400 people attended what was described as a “successful” event.
What about firings?
There were no firings during this time frame. But Dixon eliminated two community engagement staff positions. Tatiana Swancy, the former restorative practices coordinator, and one other staffer had their positions eliminated for budget constraints, Dixon told Wednesday Journal. The Journal has not obtained that employee’s name.
Swancy and the other staffer were offered the opportunity to split responsibilities for another library position. Swancy declined, and the other staffer accepted.
Dixon said the entire library should work toward antiracism and equity, rather than having one position dedicated to it. Swancy said that was only further proof the library needs more diversity, equity and inclusion training.
How did Dixon respond to the controversy?
Less than a week after the first round of public comments addressing the situation, Dixon publicly apologized for the way leadership handled the Palestinian culture event.
“I am sorry,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “There has been a lot of public conversation, hurt, and confusion about our library over the last week. I am accountable for this library and to this library. And I am deeply sorry I contributed to the hurt experienced by community members surrounding the Celebration of Palestinian Culture event.”
Former staff and public commenters at a special meeting March 7 said her apology wasn’t enough.
Why was Dixon fired?
The board of trustees voted to fire Dixon. In a statement, they wrote that the decision was not based on one isolated incident, but because a consistent pattern also emerged over the past several months demonstrating that Dixon’s priorities did not align with the board’s.
In this case, board members wrote, the library’s relationship with the community had been damaged, and the resulting confusion and miscommunication contributed to their decision.
Who was the group behind a petition to fire Dixon?
A letter written on behalf of the community group Freedom to Thrive Oak Park asked for the resignations of Dixon, Kolo and Wulf.
It has since been removed.
Who are some of the individuals and groups who supported Dixon?
Many other library staff members and former colleagues of Dixon expressed their support for her.
At the March 8 meeting, Jennifer Norborg, the library’s children’s services manager, said she and other staffers supported Dixon.
At the March 14 meeting, OPPL’s director of facilities, Matthew Bartodziej, read a letter signed by several other library leaders, including Wulf and Kolo.
Kate Hall, executive director of Northbrook Public Library, and former colleague of Dixon, said many libraries want to follow in Dixon’s and Oak Park’s footsteps.
All recordings of the library board meetings can be found online.
What happens next?
The board plans to implement an anonymous staff survey to improve workplace culture.
Wulf and Director of Collections Leigh Tarullo will provide leadership in the short-term, according to the board’s statement.
Plans to hire a new director are underway.
Update 4/2/2024: An earlier version of this story that was not quite ready for publication was mistakenly posted online. It has been replaced by a fully edited version. We apologize for the confusion.
