St. Charles Public Library director Edith Craig submitted her resignation letter Wednesday, announcing she is stepping down after more than five years in her role.

Craig gave 30 days notice to the St. Charles Public Library District Board.

“The library is in a great place to hire a new chef,” Craig said in the letter. “Embracing a new strategic plan, starting a new budget cycle and continuing negotiations with the library bargaining unit are just a few examples of new things a new manager will be ready to undertake.

During her tenure as principal, Craig oversaw the $18.6 million renovation and expansion of the library, which opened to the public in July 2021. Last summer, the majority of library employees filed an application to form a union through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.

Earlier this year, the library closed in-person visits for more than two weeks after threats were made against employees for following state indoor mask requirements that were in place at the library. ‘era.

A group of more than three dozen people in January protested the library’s decision to follow the statewide indoor mask mandate. Employees also received “hundreds of communications,” some of which included threatening comments, officials previously said.

Many of these communications and messages threatened some form of physical retaliation against the library, including statements that large unmasked groups would enter the library, according to a post on the library’s website.

In her resignation letter on Wednesday, Craig highlighted the positive experiences that took place during her tenure as director.

“The management team is an incredible asset to this library and I’m so proud of this group of people,” she said. “They taught me a lot and I know they will continue to make this library special.”

In the letter, Craig did not specify what she will do next. When asked, she didn’t specify what her plans entail.

Craig’s hiring in September 2016 with an annual salary of $108,000 sparked controversy among some staff because she had no previous experience as a library manager. In an email to library staff after Craig was hired, then-chairman of the board, Tory Haines, acknowledged that one of the staff members’ main concerns was his lack of experience. as director.

“The board placed the experience very low on our priority list,” Haines’ email said in response to staff concerns at the time. “Our previous director had an excellent resume and extensive experience, but he was not a good fit for our library. »