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Posted: Friday, 03 July 2009 8:31AM
Former director banned from library
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ELGIN (STNG) -- A former northwest suburban Elgin public library director says Randolph L. "Randy" Hopp was well-known to library staff, even before he was elected a library trustee this year.
Hopp -- banned by his own board this week from using the library -- often left staff feeling ill at ease when he patronized the old Gail Borden Public Library at 200 Grove Ave., Zack said.
After a special closed-door meeting Tuesday night, the board voted 6-1 to suspend Hopp's library privileges for a year. Library officials declined to be specific about the reasons for the suspension or even to publicly name the person who was banned.
But sources said it is Hopp and the action was based on allegations he harassed library staff during working hours. Hopp, who was elected to the library board in April, still will be allowed to attend board meetings at Gail Borden.
Hopp has declined comment other than to deny the accusations.
But Zack said Hopp was a frequent visitor at the main floor service desk at the old library, where patrons would go for copying, microfilm, periodicals and other services.
"Randy Hopp was constantly disturbing staff members at that desk, to the level of harassment. He refused to follow the rules set down for proper behavior, regulations, requests for copies, et cetera," Zack said in a telephone interview. "His presence was intimidating for one of our staff members to the point she simply couldn't work, she was so uncomfortable. That is all he did at that library -- accessing the services at the desk there. His behavior was disturbing and threatening, he refused to follow rules, and he would become argumentative when asked to follow the rules.
"His demeanor, when he didn't get his way, was uncomfortable and threatening to people. That is what happened over a period of time that led me as a director to suspend privileges."
When staffers feel a patron should be denied access to the library, the information is brought to a board vote. When a library patron is banned from the facility, a certified letter is sent either to the person or, if a minor, to his or her parent or guardian.
A copy of the letter to Hopp -- dated Dec. 15, 2000 -- is included in a criminal file at the Kane County Court Clerk's office. He was charged with trespass to the library on Dec. 20, 2000, but later was found not guilty after a one-day bench trial.
The Courier-News also has learned Hopp, 58, of Elgin, has an outstanding arrest warrant in Kane County on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing. The charges stem from incidents in 2005 at Elgin State Bank in Carpentersville in which he is accused of harassing behavior, including threatening the bank president.
The warrant still has not been served, according to court records. When asked why, Carpentersville police Cmdr. Tim Bosshart noted that at any given time, the department has about 2,000 warrants filed. "We'll probably give him a week or so and see if he turns himself in. If not, somebody will go get him," Bosshart said this week.
Bosshart said if charges are serious, Carpentersville police usually will serve the warrant. Otherwise, they contact the local police department and notify them of the warrant.
Bosshart said he is unsure if that was done in Hopp's case.
"We'd prefer he just come in and get a new court date," Bosshart said. "Chances are he doesn't know it either. It doesn't seem like he's running."
Staff writer Emily McFarlan contributed to this report.
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Copyright 2009 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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