The Dacula business group trying to save Gwinnett County’s community-based library system is calling for the removal of the library’s executive director.
In a petition sent Wednesday night to thousands countywide, the Dacula Business Association is garnering public support to ask the library board to oust Nancy Stanbery-Kellam.
“Calling for the removal of Ms. Stanbery-Kellam is a brand-new piece of this fight,” said Chad Parson, president of the Dacula group. “We feel that she has a personal agenda in this and is refusing to listen to the people of Gwinnett County.”
The business group is trying to drum up support for keeping the neighborhood library model after the board adopted a plan last Tuesday to change it into a regional-based system. As part of the plan, facilities in Dacula, Snellville and Lilburn would be converted into computer labs with no books in stock.
Library system spokeswoman Michelle Long said a recently formed committee is defining the services of those labs, which officials are tentatively calling computer access libraries.
“It’s not going to be just a building with computers in it,” said Long, adding she won’t have details until the committee’s work is complete, which could be next week.
Stanbery-Kellam was not prepared to comment.
Parson said if the board fails to oust Stanbery-Kellam and keep all 15 full-service facilities, the group will ask county commissioners to replace all library board members.
Gwinnett County Commissioner Mike Beaudreau said because the library board was created by the state, “We’re not sure we can dissolve it.”
“The battle is far from over,” added Beaudreau, whose district includes Dacula and Snellville. “We’re exploring every possibility, including Board of Commissioners action.”
