Library board narrows director search, plans public interviews July 1

The City of Muskegon Library Board on Wednesday said it had narrowed a field of 15 applicants for the library director post to two finalists and penciled in public interviews for Tuesday, July 1, at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with about a half-hour for discussion after both interviews.

Board members said human resources screened applications and an interview committee had conducted four interviews this month before selecting two finalists to bring in for interviews with the full board. The board agreed trustees would receive applications and resumes at least a week before the July 1 meeting.

The board discussed logistics for each finalist to meet staff immediately before their interview so employees can offer a brief meet-and-greet. Trustees debated whether to schedule the meet-and-greets at 4:30 p.m. with interviews at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and whether to hold the two finalists’ staff sessions on separate days to avoid the candidates meeting one another. The board also said standardized questions and a scoring matrix will be provided to trustees ahead of the interviews.

Trustees discussed remote participation for members who will be out of town that week and said they would make a Zoom option available for those who cannot attend in person. They also noted the July 4 week could affect availability and asked staff to propose multiple dates/times so candidates and trustees can coordinate.

No final hiring decision was made at the meeting. The board said it will interview both finalists, discuss them after the interviews on July 1, and then move to any follow-up action at a subsequent meeting.