SALINE COUNTY, Ark. — Saline County is on the search for a new library director as former director Patty Hector is no longer employed by the county or its library system.
"I got the call saying that the judge wanted to talk to me. So he came out to the library and said my services were no longer needed by the county," Former Director Patty Hector explained.
In a statement from the county, it was announced that Leigh Espy will take the role of interim director as the search for a new library director continues.
This decision comes as Saline County has seen continued controversy surrounding its library over the past few months.
In April, the Saline County quorum court passed a resolution that asked the county library system to ensure that “materials contained within the children's section of the library are subject matter and age appropriate."
In June, County Judge Matt Brumley said in a press conference, "The library should enact policies to relocate materials that are not subject matter or age appropriate for children due to their sexual content or imagery."
From there, the Saline County Library saw contentious billboards and tense quorum court meetings in that time as the library searched for its next steps.
A billboard, which read "Stop X-rated books" was spotted in Saline County back in May before the weeks-long controversy that would follow.
That billboard included a link to certain books at the Saline County Library that supporters of the billboard deemed to be "inappropriate."
The debate continued until late August, when the County Judge was given control of the Saline County Library, in an 11-2 quorum court vote.
"Everybody has the right to read whatever they want. Parents are the only ones who decide what their child reads, but they don't decide it for other parents' children. And yeah, I was gonna stand by that," Hector said.
As part of the vote, the Saline County Judge was given the final say for nearly all library decisions. This includes budgets, employment, and more of a say when it comes to what goes on library shelves.
"We must never again allow the Saline County Library to weaponize our tax dollars against the citizens of this county," one supporter of the amended ordinance said.
Another person against the issue said that "[Supporters are] wanting to remove the decisions of the library from a board and a director that has a master's degree in library science, to a position that only requires you to be 25 years old, a qualified elector, and resident of Saline County."
"There's not a better career-- or there wasn't until people tried, to control what other people can read," Hector said, as she reflected on her career.