Briscoe out as PCPL director
A year after he came to Greencastle to lead the Putnam County Public Library as its director, Brian Briscoe has now left his post.
In a special executive session and public meeting convened Wednesday afternoon, the library’s board of trustees voted to not renew Briscoe’s contract into next year. Comments from the public were also not allowed during the public meeting.
Briscoe came to the library in June of last year, after former director Grier Carson departed from PCPL the previous March.
He has set his focus on engagement with people in Putnam County, especially in towns like Russellville and Bainbridge. Briscoe has also pushed technology updates, most recently a transition to the Evergreen cataloging system.
However, Briscoe’s tenure has been beset by ongoing issues with the library’s elevator, as well as a major shutdown of PCPL’s online services at the beginning of this year due to a server malfunction.
At this juncture, Briscoe’s departure, according to him, seems to be rooted in issues of communication with the board. In a call from the Banner Graphic Thursday morning, Briscoe also provided that there were differing viewpoints in how the board evaluated his performance.
“I think the gist is that they (the board) felt that I was not prepared for questions that have been asked,” he stated. “I spent more time trying to get out in the community and make sure we were reaching out to people.”
Briscoe provided that board members called an executive session following their regular meeting last month to discuss those points, though it has only been within the past two weeks that he was informed of the board’s position.
Briscoe also expressed some concern about the speed of the evaluations, given that his year-long contract was up for consideration and that a review had to be done in turn.
“I don’t think my evaluation represented fully what I have actually done, or totally recognized that we do have a great staff which I’ve helped build,” he said.
“I was just caught off guard,” Briscoe said simply.
Though the board’s decision may have been based on a lack of these considerations, Briscoe stated that he was more concerned about the viability and progression of initiatives which are waiting in the wings.
“One of the concerns I have is that certain things that were going to happen are going to slide by,” Briscoe said. “I thought we were doing those things well, and that we were moving forward.”
Despite these reservations, Briscoe strongly emphasized that the library has offered him a “fair” severance package, and that there is not any true animosity about the decision on his part.
“I love people and the library,” Briscoe added. “I’m concerned about the community, because Putnam County has a lot of good people. And it has been wonderful working with the people here at the library.”
Though his definite next steps and where he will go from here are still to be discerned, Briscoe also said that he will soon be leaving Greencastle as a resident.
Board President Alan Zerkel was overseas in Japan when the meetings took place. Board member Shannon Green was also out-of-state.
It is unclear as of this time when or how a search will be conducted to find Briscoe’s replacement, or who will be PCPL’s acting director before that search can be completed.
Treasurer Lisa Barker acted as the interim director between Carson’s departure and Briscoe’s coming to the library last year.
You've tried to make your points, and I've tried to make mine. The severance package was not at all the main one of this article when it was published.