“Siobhan Reardon has worked tirelessly and with great imagination, to transform libraries (into) a network of vibrant educational, community and cultural spaces,” said board of trustees chair Judge Pamela Dembe in an email to the board announcing Reardon’s departure.
However, Dembe added, “In the last several months, events have overtaken us all. The health consequences of COVID-19 and the long-overdue wider rage about deeply embedded racism have brought us to a point where the Free Library, like many other institutions, must make very major changes if we are to most effectively serve our employees and our patrons. Siobhan has decided that she will best foster this process by stepping aside.”
Reardon’s own letter gave no reason for the resignation, but said she had considered it carefully and that the mandate the board had given her, “to turn the Free Library of Philadelphia into a world-class 21st Century library," had been achieved.
The resignation comes three weeks after the Concerned Black Workers of The Free Library of Philadelphia issued a vote of no confidence in Reardon, citing a list of grievances, including "continued lip-service and insufficient action of this administration concerning racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion within our work spaces and libraries."
“We believe the resignation is a good first step in creating a culture at the Free Library that is equitable for all,” said Shahadah Abdul-Rashid, a community initiative specialist and a member of the group. “We still have more work to do. We need our board and our executive team to be committed to creating an environment that’s anti-racist and they need to take training so they can address the issues of racism at the Library instead of sweeping it under the rug or saying ‘we didn’t know,’ because that is unacceptable.”
Board member Mustafa Rashed said the board is looking forward to making sure the library is inclusive.
“We want to make sure our employees, in particular our Black library workers, feel they’re respected, valued and appreciated as integral parts of the team,” he said.
It has been a tumultuous 12 years for Reardon.
She arrived in Philadelphia in the depths of the Great Recession and had to defend the Nutter administration’s decision to close neighborhood branches.
The library budget has never fully recovered yet Reardon was able to upgrade the system’s technology resources and make them more accessible.
She took on new duties for libraries, such as helping to navigate enrollment in health insurance after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, launching a literacy initiative for children in the early years of school and providing social services at neighborhood branches, including Narcan training for librarians in drug-ravaged Kensington.
In a statement, Mayor Jim Kenney thanked Reardon for her service over the years, and acknowledged the need for change.
“After hearing calls for reform from Library employees and the public, it is clear that a change in leadership is necessary during these unprecedented times,” he said. “Our administration stands in solidarity with the Free Library’s Black employees, and the countless others who have made their voices heard.”
The board will conduct a search for her successor.
Abdul-Rashid said she hopes the next director is a person of color, "preferably Black." She said the Concerned Black Workers would also like to see Dembe go.