Morris City library director returns after 20-day suspension amid dispute over library purchases

City Manager Rebecca Shaw testified at a Morris City Loudermill hearing that she recommended termination for Library Director Ann Barber after an independent investigation found what she described as misuse of public funds, but the City Council instead approved a 20-day unpaid suspension that Barber served and after which she returned to work on April 28.

Shaw said the concerns began when she and the finance director reviewed invoice procedures and found the library board was not approving invoices prior to payment. "There are a lot of red flags," she told the hearing, citing sample charges for Audible, AMC Plus and Amazon Prime rentals that the library chair and others did not recognize as authorized library subscriptions. Shaw said the city engaged an outside investigator and, "by state statute," reported the matter to law enforcement and the state auditor's office.

Shaw described efforts to obtain the library Amazon account credentials. She said Barber initially declined to provide a username and password until consulting counsel and that the refusal prompted placing Barber on paid administrative leave to protect the integrity of the inquiry. Shaw told the panel she "recommended termination because an outside independent investigator stated that there was misuse of funds," and that termination was advised to preserve public trust. She emphasized that "employees are expected to be accurate, truthful, and transparent" about public spending.

City evidence introduced at the hearing included data from the Viking Library System showing that many catalog entries for disputed items were created after Barber returned to work and that most of those items shared a small set of common due dates. A city witness told the panel the pattern was "a little suspicious," and Shaw said the city found 18 items at Barber's home, information Barber's attorney had disclosed to council.

Barber, who has served as Morris Public Library director since 2016, said she used an Amazon account she already had and that she shipped some purchases to her home to preview materials before placing them in the library collection. "I shipped items to my house so I could preview them," she said, acknowledging she continued that practice after being told to stop and that she did so "about eight more times." Barber said many of the items the investigator listed were later located at the library, in storage or cataloged after she returned to work.

On specific charges, Barber acknowledged purchases including AirPods used to demonstrate e-audio options during patron assistance and craft materials for programs. On the Audible entries cited by the city, she said she saw a short listening history and did not intend to subscribe for personal use. "I did not know that and I apologize," Barber said when questioned about some charges.

Barber said she provided usernames and passwords after being placed on leave and that, after her return, she worked to locate and catalog the materials. She told council many of the disputed items were checked out to her so she could verify them for programming or to show staff how they worked. "They're checked out to me. I don't mind disclosing that," Barber said.

Shaw said she initially recommended termination under the city's non-union employee policy but the council exercised its authority and imposed a 20-day suspension (Exhibit B). The suspension notice in the record lists the suspension period as March 31'April 25 and a notice of intent dated March 24, 2025; Barber returned on April 28 and then undertook cataloging and reconciliation of the items in question.

The hearing record shows the city adopted tighter purchasing and credit-card controls after the investigation, including a new credit-card policy and clarified approval workflows. Shaw cited precedents in other jurisdictions where misuse of public funds led to termination or lengthy suspension, and said the city sought an independent investigation specifically to avoid any appearance of internal bias.

The hearing included contested documentary exhibits and technical evidence about catalog creation dates and due dates provided by Viking Library System staff. Barber disputed some findings in the investigator's report and said search sensitivity and spelling errors in catalog records can obscure whether items already existed in the system. She also said some purchases were later reimbursed by the Friends of the Library.

No criminal finding was entered in the hearing record; Shaw said police and the state auditor had been given the city's investigation and that the sheriff's office had provided information to the state auditor but that the city had not received a response about any resulting action. The Loudermill proceeding focused on whether the disciplinary penalty was appropriate; the council upheld a 20-day suspension rather than accepting the city manager's termination recommendation.

The hearing recessed after Barber's testimony and the city had signaled the matter would continue through the council process. The record shows the city changed procedures for invoice approval and credit-card use in the library following the investigation, and council members raised questions about next steps and whether any additional administrative action would follow.