Baltimore County reinstates 14 part-time librarians after abrupt mass firings

More than a dozen part-time librarians from Baltimore County who were laid off on Wednesday were reinstated Friday evening, according to the Baltimore County Public Library.

Baltimore County Public Library made the announcement just two days after laying off 14 part-time librarians. 

According to BCPL, library leaders had informed 14 part-time librarians that their positions were eliminated as part of a decade-long decision to phase out part-time librarians. 

"While the operational intent behind the decision was to enhance the level of service at the branches, we acknowledge this process was not handled with the respect and transparency our part-time librarians deserved," the library spokesperson wrote.

Library workers who spoke with WJZ on Friday morning say they felt blindsided after library officials gave them no reason for the dismissal right before the holidays.

"In 1980, I was 16 in high school, and then I worked my way up to become a full-time librarian, and then once my son was born, in 1994, I came back after maternity leave to work as a part-time librarian," said Chris Curreri, a longtime librarian for Baltimore County Public Library. 

"We have to deal with all of the social things that are happening in the world right now. We've got a pretty large homeless population that uses the library, and there's a lot of drug use, there's overdoses, so there's a lot to the job."

"It was unsettling and humiliating..."

Curreri's decades-long career came to a halt Wednesday after learning she and more than a dozen others were being laid off.

"The HR representative told my manager that he should get me a bag, and we went to my desk and I packed everything up," said Curreri. "The representative did tell me I was not to speak to anyone in the library about what happened, because the CEO was going to be sending something out to let all staff know what was going on...It was really hard to walk out without being able to tell people what just happened, and to say goodbye."

"It was unsettling and humiliating for a staff member to have to put their stuff in the trash bag and be walked out to their car like a criminal. What? What is going on?" said Anita Bass, the current president of IAM Local 4538. "I don't understand."

Bass said the union was notified of the layoff only a few hours before.

"We have a fiscal year that started July 1. So this fiscal year is part of the budget. The county has already taken care of that for us. We've gotten our funding for it. So why was this such a rush?" Bass said.

The union still has concerns about staff getting backpay and members plan to attend Tuesday's board of trustees meeting at the Towson Library branch to get clarity, Bass told WJZ. 

"We are very happy of the outcome and now we will see what happens next. We still have some concerns about the staff getting the back pay and also the communication from the CEO to the staff was that BCPL was putting a pause on firing staff. Meaning that still staff members do not know if their job will last through the fiscal year. So we are still going to question the administration about that," Bass said.

Plans to phase out part-time librarians were initiated decades ago

WJZ did reach out to Baltimore County Public Library, and a spokesperson says the plan to phase out part-time librarian positions was initiated by previous leadership more than a decade ago. Since then, the number of part-time librarian roles has declined from 79 in 2020 to 14 in 2025. 

"We're told that you have to choose if you want to apply for a job. Here's a list of jobs. You have to choose which ones you want right now, which is really hard because you know your mind is swirling because you've just been fired," said Curreri.

Just after 4:30 p.m. on Friday, the Baltimore County Public Library reinstated the 14 part-time librarian positions. 

"Library leadership will work with key stakeholders to determine the best path forward for this position. We continue to encourage the impacted employees to apply to available openings, several of which are full-time librarian opportunities," a spokesperson wrote.

 "Baltimore County Public Library prides itself on being a trusted community pillar and understands this recent decision, and its communication, may have undermined that trust. Our goal is to restore the community's confidence in the coming days, weeks and months. The library's priority is to support staff and strengthen service at our 19 branches to meet the needs of Baltimore County residents today and into the future."

Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones released the following statement on Friday, addressing mass firings at the Baltimore County Public Library:

"Public institutions must treat people with dignity, especially workers who have spent their lives serving residents. Abrupt and unexplained firings two weeks before the holidays violate the values Baltimore County stands for. I have secured assurances from the Director of BCPL will reverse this decision, restore every affected librarian, and ensure continued support for each of these deeply valued public workers.

Baltimore County is strongest when we uphold fairness, transparency, and respect for the people who keep our public institutions running. I will continue to monitor the situation and work with all involved to ensure no worker is ever treated this way again."

The official page for Baltimore County Government also released a public statement following the decision to reinstate the librarians.