The Baltimore County Public Library has “separated” from CEO Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, the library trustees board announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes after Alcántara-Antoine suddenly laid off 14 part-time librarians two weeks before Thanksgiving. Those librarians were rehired two days after the layoffs, following immense public backlash.
“The Board of Library Trustees and our CEO, Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, have separated as of Tuesday, December 9,” the board wrote in a statement. “The Board thanks Sonia for her contributions over the years and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
They added, “The Board is committed to working with staff, stakeholders and our Baltimore County residents as we move the library system forward together.”
Library officials did not say who will lead the library system.
Alcántara-Antoine became the second woman and first Afro-Latina to lead the library system when she became CEO in 2021.
A New York native, she previously served as the director of the Newport News Public Library and also held leadership roles at Virginia Beach Public Library and Enoch Pratt Free Library.
