The Carson City Library has opened its director position to internal candidates after being told by city human resources hiring is tough right now.
“I can’t guarantee you’d get fabulous candidates,” said Carson City Human Resources Recruitment Analyst Megan McCarthy at the July 28 Library Board of Trustees meeting.
The board is trying to fill the position of library director with the departure of Tod Colegrove. Colegrove took the position in 2019 after leaving the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. The board weighed the pros and cons of open recruitment versus hiring from within. McCarthy said because the position is “unclassified,” there is no minimum posting requirement.
In a follow-up email July 29, McCarthy said total applications for Carson City are down 28 percent and pointed to a broader trend.
“Carson City’s average applications per job for fiscal year 2022 was down 35 percent from fiscal year 2021,” McCarthy said. “The national average for public sector employers is down 56 percent.”
Facing a bleak market but hopeful about qualified internal candidates, the board of trustees decided, in a unanimous vote, to open recruitment internally and set up public interviews for a future meeting.
The annual salary range for the library director position is approximately $110,00 to $175,000, according to McCarthy. The position requires a master’s degree in library and information science and five years management experience.
Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury said trustees could start gathering résumés, cover letters and references from interested internal candidates. Trustee Sarena Nichols suggested including performance reviews for internal candidates as well.
Joy Holt, the library’s department business manager and acting director, expressed interest in the permanent position.
