Anchorage Assembly members question former library employees following reports of a hostile work environment

Anchorage Assembly members are seeking answers from Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s administration following recent reports of a hostile working environment at the Anchorage Public Library and an ongoing exodus of staff, along with concerns raised by organizations that support the library.

During a work session on Friday, Assembly members questioned the organization leaders, the city’s ombudsman and four former library employees.

Bronson administration officials were invited but did not attend, and placards for library Deputy Director Judy Eledge, Municipal Manager Amy Demboski and Human Resources manager Niki Tshibaka sat in front of empty seats for the duration of the meeting. A spokesman for the mayor’s office said members of the administration were unavailable to attend.

Assembly leaders on Thursday sent a letter to Demboski with a list of questions about a high number of staff vacancies and the recent closure of the Loussac Library on Sundays. They are also asking questions about recent policy changes at the library that current and former staff have said is being applied unequally to library guests and impacting the ability of homeless individuals and families to use the city’s libraries.

Current and former employees have reported a toxic workplace and managerial dysfunction following Bronson’s appointment of Eledge. One recently departed employee has accused Eledge of making racist statements about Alaska Natives and derogatory comments about other groups.

[Bronson-appointed Anchorage library manager accused of racist remarks and fostering a hostile work environment]

At Friday’s meeting, the library’s recently retired director, Mary Jo Torgeson, said she was concerned about Eledge’s lack of any library-specific experience, how the library is being managed and poor staff morale, among other issues she raised.

“The last thing I thought I would ever do is sit in front of you to say, to complain about the library or to complain about a previous director — because that’s just not done. You get out of the way,” Torgeson said. “But things are so egregious to me right now. That’s why I am here, and that’s why I have such strong feelings.”

Linda Klein, former Youth Services librarian, said that Eledge directed staff to put back onto library shelves six Dr. Seuss books that had been previously pulled after a determination of a group of Anchorage librarians. The Seuss Foundation is no longer publishing those books because they contain racist imagery.

“I was hearing a lot of very disturbing things from employees and I was concerned with the direction that programming and our collection development was going, and I also felt that at that point I just really couldn’t tolerate it anymore,” Klein said, explaining her departure. “Physically, mentally — I was done.”

Partway through the meeting, Assembly member and Bronson ally Jamie Allard, who had called in by phone, labeled the work session a “witch hunt,” said she wouldn’t participate and hung up.

”This is clearly an orchestrated political attack directed at a municipal employee,” she said.

Assembly leaders scheduled the meeting after receiving a letter from Library Advisory Board Chair Cristy Willer last month detailing her concerns that Eledge misrepresented the extent of staffing shortages. Willer said the group hasn’t been able to meet its responsibilities under the city’s charter due to poor communication and a lack of information from Bronson officials.

[Earlier coverage: Still lacking a director, Anchorage Public Library draws scrutiny over board discussion of ‘inappropriate literature’]

Anchorage Library Foundation Board President, Kim Hays told Assembly members that donors are balking over the staffing issues and news reports of problems with the library’s management.

Ombudsman Darrel Hess told Assembly members that the library employees did not want to take complaints to human resources, because they felt HR staff would “feel pressured regarding any investigations.”

“They expressed concerns that HR staff may not have been comfortable or may have been concerned about conducting their investigation because they would be fearful for their job,” Hess said.

Between reports to Hess and to the city’s recently fired director of Office of Equal Opportunity, Heather MacAlpine, they have fielded serious complaints about the library workplace from 12 to 18 employees, he said.

“In 10 years and dealing with 15,000 people I have never seen so many municipal employees in one facility, in one department come forward with similar complaints,” Hess said.

Former library Assistant Director Jacob Cole, who reported his concerns to Hess and later sent the city’s Office of Equal Opportunity a list of comments he said that Eledge made which “shocked and disturbed” him, spoke by phone during the meeting. Cole had unsuccessfully applied for the library director job, and left the Anchorage library in May for a job out of state.

Assembly members did not ask Cole for specifics about Eledge’s comments, focusing instead on his decision to leave his position as assistant deputy director and broader questions about leadership, staff morale and policy at the library.

Assembly Vice Chair Chris Constant said that Demboski, before the meeting in a phone call to the Assembly chair, warned Assembly leaders to stay away from discussing personnel matters publicly or they could face a lawsuit.

Constant said Assembly leaders have not yet decided on next steps as they pursue the matter, but said it’s likely they will hold an executive session to speak with library employees.

Hans Rodvik, spokesman for the mayor’s office, said Assembly leaders scheduled the work session before asking administration if staff would be available.

“The Municipal Manager extended an offer thru the Assembly Chair that any member of the Assembly who has questions about Library operations, or general management questions are welcome to schedule a meeting with the Municipal Manager and she is happy to explain Municipal operations,” Rodvik said in an email.

[Anchorage Assembly postpones vote on process to remove a mayor for ‘breach of public trust’]

Rodvik also said he and Demboski were at the library Friday morning for a tour, although not during the time of the work session.

Hess told Assembly members he believes morale among municipal employees beyond the library is “pretty low right now,” and that he thinks it is impacting staff turnover and the ability of staff to effectively work.

“I think it’s just, it’s the reality of the current position, the current situation and current state of mind for many municipal employees, right or wrong,” Hess said. “That’s how many employees feel that I’ve talked to — employees that are concerned about doing their jobs because they’re afraid if how they do their job doesn’t comport with political expectations, they’re concerned about their job.”