Louisiana Voice

Back on July 18, in its abbreviated meeting, Jonathan Davis, president of Livingston Parish Library Board of Control, announced that he felt “A DEGREE IS A DEGREE,”  and that he felt a special Master’s degree was not needed to qualify for the position of parish library director.

Apparently, he no longer feels that way.

At the July meeting, Davis said that he wanted to open the qualifications for a new director to virtually anyone with a degree, no matter what that degree might be in and that he did not want to “punish those people, especially former principals that have managed schools and know exactly how to do a job very, very similar to this.”

He also denied that the board does not have anyone specific in mind, but that he had an idea of the type of person to fill the position. “I know I’m saying principals a lot, we can talk about someone from the school board’s administration, or someone who has retired from there. I think any of these people would be acceptable to be put in the pool. I’m just saying I want to find the best person for the job, and I think this is the way to do it.

With those words still echoing, the position was officially posted on August 21 and a friend immediately submitted his application. The very next day, August 22, he received this:

From: Livingston Parish Library <se-32-43202473-0@send.applyresponse.com>
Date: August 22, 2025 at 8:00:04 AM CDT
To:
Subject: Thank You for Applying

Dear

We appreciate that you took the time to apply for the position of Library Director with our company. We received applications from many people. After reviewing your submitted application materials, we have decided that we are unable to offer you an interview due to not meeting the minimum qualifications.

We appreciate that you are interested in our company. Please do apply again in the future should you see a job posting for which you qualify.

Again, thank you for applying. We wish you all the best.

Regards,

Human Resource Department
Livingston Parish Library

Whoa! In a single day’s time, he got “We received applications from many people.” That was faster than a speeding bullet. But then came this puzzling rejection: “After reviewing your submitted application materials, we have decided that we are unable to offer you an interview due to not meeting the minimum qualifications.”

Seriously? Just what were those “minimum qualifications”?

Interestingly, the library’s own web page which contained the announcement of the position had this to say about qualifications:

Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of the modern principles, methods and practices of public library administration. Knowledge of library classification and cataloging techniques and practices. Knowledge of public administration and office management, practices and equipment as related to library. Knowledge of books, the book trade, and the reprint and out-of-print markets. Ability to determine the library needs of the community served and to develop a selection policy responsive to that need. Ability to plan, organize, direct and coordinate the activities of a diversified library system in a manner beneficial to full performance and high morale. Ability to delegate authority and responsibility and to schedule and program work on a long-term basis. Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, orally and in writing. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, other local government officials and the general public.

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements

Masters (sic) degree in library science, four years of progressively responsible experience in professional library work, including two years of experience in library administration preferred. Certification by the Louisiana Board of Library Examiners achieved within the first year of hire.

That kind of shoots Davis’s theory in the head. More importantly, I believe it exposes the fraudulent intent of the board itself when it voted to fire Michelle Parrish at the express direction of Michael Lunsford, head of an outfit dubiously called Citizens for a Better Louisiana.

It casts serious doubt onto Davis’s claim back in July that he wanted to be “as transparent as possible” and it certainly calls to question his further claim that board did not have anyone in specific in mind to fill Parrish’s position and it certainly gives one pause over his expressed desire “to move the system forward and ensure long-term strength and unity within the library.” And were it not such a serious matter, it might have been laughable when he said, “I believe this is an opportunity to move forward together, with a renewed commitment, to our shared mission and a spirit of respect for all who use and support our library system.”

Davis and the rest of the board amount to little more than puppets for Lunsford who is trapsing around the state attempting to stir up the locals over some perceived sin of allowing inappropriate books to be available to the reading public.

That is nothing but censorship and this entire episode merely serves to validate claims that this library board is little more than an extension of some dude who doesn’t even reside in Livingston Parish but who insists to enforcing his version of purity and decency.