SPENCER — The Owen County Public Library Board is under pressure from the Indiana State Library to get a member who allegedly is serving illegally to resign.

But that member is board president Robert Taylor — and he doesn't want to resign.

Taylor is serving illegally, says the state library, because state law limits people to four terms on library boards and he's serving his fifth. One of those terms was filling out the term of another board member. But according to the law, that still counts as a term.

According to library director Vickey Freeland, the way it all developed "was very innocent."

She said Taylor's previous term was expiring in June, 1997 and he "simply was reappointed" by the county commissioners.

That was before she came on board as director and eventually discovered the problem.

The matter remained in limbo until recently, when the state library warned her and the board that they were in noncompliance with the law and could lose funding they get from the state library if the illegality was not corrected by Taylor's resignation.

"The state library said they could hold our money," she said.

But that would mean Taylor should have to resign only a few months short of the end of his term in June. And Freeland said that "at this point," he has decided to complete his term.

Which she'd prefer, all things considered, she said. That's because the board already is getting one new member each in March and April and "there's a learning curve here." She isn't eager to have a third rookie on board, especially if the person might not be reappointed in June.

In that light, she said, "it would be kind of silly" for Taylor to be forced out and replaced, possibly for a short time.

Accordingly, she said, "we are requesting a waiver (from the state) so he could complete his term." But if it's denied, she said, she expects Taylor would resign rather that see the library lose state funding.

Taylor couldn't be reached Wednesday for comment.

Reporter Kurt Van der Dussen can be reached at 331-4372 or by e-mail at kvd@heraldt.com.