The director of the Free Library of Philadelphia has stepped down from her job amid a controversy over how Black employees of the library are treated, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Siobhan Reardon, who led the library for 12 years, quit her job last week. Library leaders had been criticized for not doing enough to address allegations of racial inequity.
“I leave knowing that the mandate that the boards gave me years ago—to turn the Free Library into a world-class, 21st-century library—has largely been achieved,” Reardon said.
Black employees of the library had alleged that they had been discriminated against and subjected to a long string of microaggressions. They also contended that they were provided with expired disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizers.
Earlier this month, several authors, including Colson Whitehead and Eddie S. Glaude Jr., canceled their planned events at the library in solidarity with the employees.
Philadelphia Councilmember Cindy Bass told CBS Philly that “it was time for a change.”
“Essentially, she hadn’t done anything because she needed the last few years to really get an understanding of the issue of racism, which I personally found to be incredibly insulting,” Bass said.
Library community organizer Andrea Lemoins told the Inquirer that Reardon’s resignation was a “first step” in addressing racism in the organization.
Lemoins said Reardon’s replacement “should be a Black person. I want that person to have a history of fighting for the Black community...and I want that person to have a track record of fighting against racism and bias.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
