AADL Library Board: Six Candidates For Three Seats

Incumbent president Jim Leija and newcomers Aidan Sova and Catherine Hadley — are running as a slate with a coordinated campaign, and a combined website. The three other candidates are Sara Duvall, Sherrie Kossoudji and John Schaeffer.

While the library seats are ostensibly non-partisan, the Leija, Sova, Hadley slate is supported by the local Democratic political machine. The AADL Board has been used as a stepping stone to City Council. The trio touts an endorsement from the Washtenaw Democratic Party. The County Dems is a small group (100-200 active people) in a county of 325,000 people, approximately 60 percent of whom vote Democratic. This trio is also endorsed by Mayor Taylor, Council member Jen Eyer Irwin, Council member Travis Radina, Council member elect Dharma Akmon, County Commissioners Jason Morgan and Andy LaBarre.

Akmon, who used her seat as a Library Trustee as a stepping stone for a run for City Council, and Radina, were caught blocking constituents on social media based on opinion discrimination. The Knight First Amendment Foundation intervened.

Leija, Sova, or Hadley all asked for campaign finance reporting waivers. All three declared that they will (individually) spend less than $1,000 while running for office. It’s unclear whether they have pooled their funds in order to pay for the slick website and campaign signs.

Aiden Sova works for Google and is a part-time Master of Liberal Arts student at the University of Pennsylvania. Hadley describes herself as “as a lifelong library cardholder, Cat is passionate about the importance of library access for all citizens and its essential role in creating connection and community.” She has two kids and is a student at the University of Michigan. Jim Leija earned a trio of degrees from the University of Michigan and works as the Deputy Director for Public Experience and Learning at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Dr. Sara Duvall holds a degree in Library Science and has worked as a librarian. She also holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Her website lists no endorsements. When Dr. Duvall submitted the paperwork to organize her campaign, she checked the box for a reporting waiver. This means Duvall expects to spend less than $1,000 on her campaign.

Dr. Sherrie Kossoudji is an economist. She is an Associate Professor Emerita at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and also works as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Economics at U-M. In an interview, Dr. Kossoudji said, “I will provide service to the library and not use library service as a springboard to another office.” When Kossoudji filed the statement to organize her campaign, she, like all of the other candidates, filed for a campaign finance waiver.

John Schaeffer holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Chemistry. He has served on several different library boards. He was the chairperson of the Bayliss public library in Sault Sainte Marie Michigan and the board chair of the Superiorland Library Cooperative.

The three winners will serve four-year terms and oversee a $18 million annual budget the bulk of which comes from a perpetual millage.

The AADL’s budget, while balanced, is balanced on the backs of a large pool of part-time, non-union employees without benefits, some of whom are paid $13 per hour. At a June 2022 AADL Board meeting, a member of the public submitted the following comment: “The library currently pays $13 an hour for some jobs which is both below what the city defines as a living wage and below what the market has for similarly talented jobs. I know that McDonald’s and Aldi all pay $15 an hour. So my question is you know that the library has a fairly big budget why isn’t the floor for all staff a living wage?”

The Library’s 2021-2022 budget shows that out of the AADL’s $18 million budget, slightly more than $10.4 million is spent on wages and $1.8 million on benefits for full-time employees.

A part-time Book Processor employed by the AADL said, “Part time Desk Clerks start at $16.14/hr. Part Time Book Processors start at $12.01/hr. This difference in pay is reflected in the level of respect and inclusion afforded employees in these different roles. The discrepancy in pay is insulting and an embarrassment to the institution. Even a full time Book Processor starts at an annual salary of $27,100/year.”

According to the AADL’s most recent 990 income tax return, the library employs a total of 270 people. Former Exec. Dir. Josie Parker was paid $228,217, plus benefits. The former Deputy Dir. (recently hired as the AADL’s new Exec. Dir.) earned $208.932. AADL’s tax return shows the non-profit is sitting in $11.1 million in cash ($6.6 million) and publicly-traded securities ($4.93 million).