The whiplash continues.

Facing mounting pressure from Baltimore County officials, residents and employees, library system CEO Sonia Alcántara-Antoine on Friday rehired all 14 part-time librarians she laid off a day earlier.

“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,” library spokesperson Emily Williamson wrote.

Just 24 hours earlier, the librarians, some of whom had been employed for years, were given an hour to clean out their desks and then were escorted out of library branches.

The library system did not inform Baltimore County officials or its board of trustees of the decision ahead of time.

In an email to staff Thursday, Alcántara-Antoine said the layoffs were necessary to better serve the county and preserve resources.

The library system employs 530 people across 19 branches. Its 2025 operating budget is $51 million, including $41 million in county funding.

Williamson initially explained that, over a decade ago, past library leaders decided to phase out part-time librarians and that the layoffs finalized the long-term decision.

Since 2020, the number of part-time librarians serving Baltimore County had dropped from 79 to 14 — those who were just fired and rehired.

On Friday, Williamson wrote: “Library leadership will work with key stakeholders to determine the best path forward for this position.”

The announcement followed a series of statements issued by county officials questioning Alcántara-Antoine’s decision.

A chorus of opposition

In an interview Friday, County Councilman Julian Jones said he had spoken with Alcántara-Antoine earlier in the day and implored her to reconsider.

“Having had a conversation with her, I am happy that she changed course,” he said. “It would have had an everlasting damage on her reputation.”

Hours before the news broke, Councilman Izzy Patoka called on Alcántara-Antoine to immediately reverse her decision and encouraged the library to engage its board and the council in further discussion.

“The timing of these firings lack compassion and are tone-deaf, not only to the time of year, but also the state of our current economy,” he wrote.

Erica Palmisano, a Baltimore County spokesperson, said earlier Friday that County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s administration was deeply concerned about the layoffs and emphasized the library system was governed by its board — not Klausmeier.

Palmisano added that trust is the foundation of a cohesive workplace environment.

“We appreciate BCPL’s acknowledgement of its missteps in laying off fourteen dedicated librarians, and look forward to working in partnership to restore trust in our library system,” she wrote.

Yara Cheikh, chair of the Board of Library Trustees for Baltimore County, hopes the reversal reassures library employees that their voices matter.

“Trust is at the heart of the connection our staff has with the Board,” she wrote. “They need to be able to trust that they are heard and respected and I think today’s decision reflects that.”

The library’s board of trustees will hold an emergency meeting at 8 a.m. Tuesday at the Towson branch on 320 York Rd.

Reporter Rona Kobell contributed reporting to this story.