LIVINGSTON - The Livingston Parish Library Board of Control appointed an interim director of the Livingston Parish Library at a meeting on Friday.

Kyla Robertson Webb was appointed effective immediately by unanimous vote. She has worked with the library system since 2021.

“The library is in good hands. We are committed to working with the Board of Control and maintaining a good relationship, moving towards the best interests of the community. I believe that we have the best team possible already working within the library system, and they bring so many strengths to what we already do, and so that will continue," Webb said.

This comes weeks after the removal of former Library Director Michelle Parrish and the subsequent resignation of four different board members, which happened on July 16. The library system has faced embattled book bans and budget cuts.

The qualifications for the position were also a heavily discussed topic at the meeting.

The qualifications required to be an administrative librarian -- also known as a library director -- are a master's degree in Library science.

But, board president Johnathan Davis was looking to change that requirement to any master's degree.

"Despite Mr. Davis's claim that a master's degree is a master's degree, let me say, master's degrees are not interchangeable, not even similar ones," one resident said.

Several residents took to the podium to voice their concerns with the possible policy change.

" It's going to be a waste of my taxpayer money because it's going to involve far too much onboarding time in systems that that person is not familiar with," another resident said.

Others had a different perspective.

"Look at you, Steve Jobs. He dropped out of college after one semester, and he's completely changed the way we communicate," a third resident said.

But parish president Randy Delatte made a motion to make no changes to the qualifications for the job unless necessary down the line.

"If we have to lower them, we will, but I don't see why we have to lower them now that we haven't gotten any applications yet because we haven't even advertised or started," he said.

The board meeting concluded with a change in board president. The board voted to reinstate Jennifer Dorhauer as president.