Library director questioned over about $5,000 in city purchases shipped to her home

A Morris City council continuation hearing on June 24 recessed into testimony about library purchasing practices as the council pressed the library director to explain hundreds of purchases charged to the city and shipped to her home.

The director, identified in the record as Miss Barbara, testified under oath that about 280 books, DVDs and other items purchased on the city credit card were shipped to her residence between Dec. 18, 2019 and Dec. 13, 2024, totaling $4,997.72. Attorney Susan Hansen, who conducted the questioning, pointed to a city directive dated Oct. 2, 2023 that instructed purchases made with the library credit card be delivered to the library rather than to employees’ homes. The director acknowledged she received that directive but said she ordered eight items after the date and confirmed, "No, I ordered eight items after that." (Miss Barbara.)

Hansen focused on three central concerns: whether home shipping was a legitimate "preview" practice, how many purchased items were actually entered in the public catalog, and whether tax-exempt status or the city card was used for personal purchases. The director said she shipped items to preview or review them for patrons (for example, to determine whether a title would suit a particular local reading…