PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Patrons of the Philadelphia Free Library’s 30-year-old Author Events series received conflicting email messages on Monday night about the future of the program. Library officials say the series will continue uninterrupted, despite the resignation of the staff that runs them.
There was an outpouring of angst and grief on social media when an email sent from the Free Library’s official account landed in inboxes, stating: “All Summer Author Events Canceled.” That was “inaccurate and unauthorized,” according to a statement from Free Library Foundation Executive Director Monique Moore Pryor. She apologized for the confusion.
She said the four-person staff all resigned Monday, and one of them sent an unauthorized email through the Free Library’s official account.
The director of the four-person staff, Andy Kahan, did not respond to a request for comment. None of the other three could be reached.
Free Library Foundation Board Chair Jeff Benoliel said in an emailed statement that he could not be sure why the team had resigned but “based on prior conversations there was a fundamental disagreement on the strategic direction chosen by the Board for the Foundation. This involved the Foundation untangling itself from the day-to-day operations of the Library.”
He said the board, though, is pleased with the results achieved under the Library’s new leadership.
Kelly Richards became director of the Library in 2021 and Pryor was hired as the Foundation’s first executive director last August after the Foundation received a $1 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The grant allowed the Free Library to add Saturday hours and offer more programming at its neighborhood branches.
“In the coming year, we plan to bring on additional resources in development, marketing and of course, with the highest priority, restaff the Author Events series team,” Benoliel said.
Journalist Bill Marimow, who hosted a half-dozen of the Author Events, said he’ll miss Kahan.
“I found his work to be professional, skillful, sensitive to the needs of the audience,” Marimow said.