Kinnelon Library Director Retiring

Barbara Owens will be retiring from her position as the director of the Kinnelon Public Library.

The Kinnelon Council will be accepting Owens' associated resignation during Thursday's borough council meeting. Owens was not available for comment Wednesday.

Kinnelon Public Library Board of Trustees President Anne Hermanowski Vosatka said Owens is retiring after eight years of service to the library. Her final day will be Dec. 31.

The library board will be discussing how to move forward with the library's leadership.

Over the past several months, Owens has approached the council about the financial challenges facing the library. In August, she said that the library has been operating under a deficit for the past three years and that issues began in 2010 when the borough chose a different health care provider than was previously used. Fewer new ratables have also caused the borough's contributions to the library to decrease, Owens said.

The library's board formed a subcommittee currently working to develop a plan for the library to sustain itself financially. The Fiscal Responsibility Subcommittee presented some of the group's findings to the council in October, which included the potential need for staff cuts.

In 2011, Owens earned a salary of $82,900, according to information provided by the borough clerk's office.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story did not state that Owens was retiring.