Photo by Taylor Bright
Michelyn Reid
The North Shelby Library board appointed Michelyn Reid as the new director of library services at its Nov. 21 meeting.
She replaces Kate Etheredge who resigned in August to take a position at the Homewood Public Library. Reid, who has worked at the library for 20 years, had served as the interim director since Etheredge’s resignation.
Applause broke out from those in attendance as Reid was announced as the director.
When Etheredge resigned, Reid initially said she did not want to be considered for the position full time, but changed her mind when she became more comfortable in the position and wanted to take the position for the staff and the residents who use the library.
“I just wanted to succeed and serve the community,” Reid said. “The staff really wanted me to throw my hat in and a couple of board members had asked me if I would apply just because I’ve been here the longest and I make the most sense and I felt kind of obligated to this library.”
Kasandra Stevens, the president of the North Shelby Library board, said the board wanted Reid to continue since she had been with the library for so long in a number of roles. The board had narrowed down its candidates to five before Reid had a change of heart.
“Her experience just really immediately put her up to the top,” Stevens said. She was the most experienced from all the candidates. So her qualifications just spoke for themselves and then on top of that her amazing personality.”
Etheredge’s resignation was a change amongst many at the library that had been in the center of a storm over a Pride month display of children’s books in the children’s section - which led to the local legislative delegation taking control of the board and replacing the old board members, who had refused to remove the display, with the current board members.
Reid said going through the controversy gave her the confidence to take on the position full time.
“It was a hard decision for me and I was reluctant, but then after going through all of the different changes, (I thought) if I can make it through this, it’s only going to get better,” she said.
Since the controversy started in 2023 six staff members have left the library. And Reid said she wanted to lead the remaining staff that had been through all of the controversy together.
“We’ve always supported each other and we love what we do and we genuinely like coming to work every day and working together,” Reid said. “And all of the stuff that has happened in the last couple of years, you really want to come out in the end strong.”
