Congratulations to Siobhan A. Reardon—President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia—whom Library Journal has selected as the Librarian of the Year. In the face of drastic budget cuts and reduction in hours right off the bat, she didn’t blink. Instead, she formulated a plan.
According to the post at LibraryJournal.com, “her plan refocused the role of the library, identifying five target populations (job seekers, entrepreneurs, new Americans, children under five, and people with disabilities). The plan outlines a cluster model to streamline and enhance neighborhood library services, share resources and staff among neighborhood libraries, and collaborate with community leaders to develop programs and services most needed by residents.”
Through thoughtful identification of their constituents, breakthrough post-recession fundraising, and shrewd course-correcting to improve neighborhood libraries, Reardon gained the momentum needed to turn the ship around.
We’re delighted to partner the Free Library of Philadelphia, and we look forward to working with this dedicated and enthusiastic (dare we say rock star?) team to serve Philly readers and others who benefit from efforts like those at FLP!
