Let’s go over a few random thoughts & observations about the Halifax County librarian that “resigned” last week.
- It sure isn’t easy to find out who’s on the Library Board. They’re not mentioned on the library’s website nor on the county’s.
- Why would Library Director Rhonda Griffin call a board meeting for a holiday (Columbus Day) and then show up at Woodson Hughes’ office the next morning? I don’t see a super-urgent compelling reason to make this decision on a holiday and then enforce it so quickly?
- Some of the board members that I’ve spoken to seem to be in a quandary. I can tell that they don’t agree with the decision, yet they have to support the director’s decision. I firmly believe that this is a decision that the library board can and should overturn and to hell with “supporting the director” on this decision. I’ve been overruled at my work (haven’t we all?) and I don’t take it personally.
- Some of the board members that I’ve spoken to seem to be quite surprised that a decision like this was made on a holiday when they weren’t even in town. See above for my questioning calling a unscheduled meeting on said holiday.
- One or two board members seem to not give a damn about Woodson Hughes & what he brought to his library and unsurprisingly, they were the leaders in the search to replace Paul Johnson’s position and the ones who recommended Rhonda Griffin. Those are the ones who are going to retreat behind the “It’s a personnel issue and we aren’t able to discuss it” smokescreen. I’m always suspicious of anybody who says “If you were told all of the details, you’d understand.” then tells me that they can’t tell me all the details.
- The next board meeting is Tuesday at 4:30 PM at the Halifax library. Tommy Reagan is one of the board members but he’s home sick with the flu. He’s told people that he’s willing to vote via conference call on any action that the board takes. Let’s see if the board does the common-sense thing by taking him up on his offer. If they don’t, you’ve got to wonder why (and I think you’ll know why).
- This is already a huge black-eye on the Halifax Library system and it has the potential to get a lot uglier once more people know of the decision-making process.
Although we won’t be able to make it to the board meeting on Tuesday, SouthsideCentral will have our friends there to let us know what’s going on and we’ll update the site as quick as possible. We hope that all of Woodson Hughes’ supporters will be at the meeting and make their voices heard. We also hope that the library board will do the right thing and come to an agreement to get Hughes’ job back.
[…] Some thoughts about the Woodson Hughes issue… SouthsideCentral – PeopleRank: 6 – 9 hours ago …Paul Johnson’s position and the ones who recommended Rhonda Griffin. Those are the ones who are going to retreat behind the “It’s a personnel issue and we aren’t able to discuss it” smokescreen. I’m always suspicious of anybody who says “If… + vote […]
Sounds like a typical Halifax County railroad job to me.
How does one get on the library board?
What a human interest story, the humble and kind Librarian vs two devils Barbara Speece and Rhonda Griffin. The former who has infiltrated this man’s life, not only in his job, but prior, in his church, and in both instances tried to run him out on a rail. Isn’t it interesting that these two women are friends? Was Speece instrumental in outing Paul Johnson, because she is the one who managed to find Ms. Griffin somewhere in small town NC. My wife and I have seen it all and unfortunately until now, not said anything. Shame on me!
What is the problem girls, not enough attention? Not enough power? Would you like to control all of South Boston? Maybe you would both like to be Mayor.
I have watched this man for years, I’ve been in his sunday school classes for years, I have seen his kindness, his integrity, his devotion to his patrons, friends, and fellow church members. Why do bad things happen to good good people?
I’m going to try and attend.
Library’s number.
434-575-4882Call it.
Editor’s Note: Barry corrected the phone number in the posting below this one.
try number 572-3440
They weren’t’ answering the phones yesterday afternoon.
Griffith has been here for 1 year. She does not live in the area & has made little attempt to get to know the people of South Boston. She has said publicly that ‘she does not and would not live here, she just works here’. Woodson has been here his entire life and has worked for the library for 22 years. He knows his patrons.
I want to know a few things: Did Griffith, at any time following her assumption of this position, have a staff briefing / training session to re-align staff behaviors with her policies? Did she hold training sessions for the computer program being used to show staffers how to handle waiving fines when necessary? Is there or has there been an “official policy” about which employees are fully aware, or did she just assume there was? Woodson is doing nothing more or less than what he has always done – kept the best interests of the library by keeping patrons satisfied and returning.
What, exactly, is the policy for reprimanding employees? I think Rhonda Griffin should resign and that Woodson should be reinstated; failing that, he should file a wrongful termination lawsuit. If every employee was not, in documented fashion, audited, then he was intentionally singled out. Since there was no meeting or training session for this to be addressed by Ms. Griffin, she has no business firing him for doing something he has done for over twenty years without complaint or issue. She should have had a disciplinary meeting and then followed it up with staff training to address the issue. She has mishandled this all over the place and demonstrated extremely poor leadership and managerial skills.
Do you know that the day after Woodson left she took the day off and left the library staff to cope with the public response? She didn’t even have the guts to come to work and handle complaints about her choices.
Sorry…Griffin. GRIIFIN. See, I’ve only spoken with her once, ever, so it was hard for me to remember her exact name. Woodson, on the other hand….H-U-G-H-E-S. Rhymes with “Shouldn’t have to be in the NEWS….for some out-of-towner, outsider’s snarky and urban VIEWS…!
I always thought God was suppose to be the head and most important person in a church. more and more i hear from people from a certain downtown baptist church about how a single lady has been trying to run it for years(pushing those she doesnt feel are worthy to the curb) and now she has weaseled her nasty grubby little fingers into the library board. Plus not only did she find a puppet (RHONDA) to do her bidding but have got rid of one of the most influencal people in the ENTIRE Halifax county-South Boston library system. Woodson Hughes is one of kindest, easy-going, and friendly people i have ever met. HOW DARE THIS NON-HALIFAX COUNTY OR VIRIGINA LOCATED PERSON DESTROY ONE OF THE MAIN PILLARS OF THE LIBRARY SYSTEM? oh no, he waived some fines… woopie do da-day! get the heck over it! Everyone in the entire county library system has done that. EVERYONE! tons of people have had fines waived Including the all-mighty and powerful BARBARA SPEECE. i know feel that i must go and clean my keyboard. some words should never be typed.