Indianapolis Public Library-the voice of library workers was shut out

 After a yearlong search for its new leader, the Indianapolis Public Library announced that its board of trustees has chosen Gabriel Morley, a library director from New Orleans, as its new CEO over current interim CEO Nichelle Hayes. The decision was met with intense pushback from dozens of library union workers and community members who showed up in support of Hayes and shouted "shame" and "boo," as the board announced the decision at the library administrative building Thursday night. 

(Morley on left; Hayes on right).

As of Thursday night, close to 300 people had signed an online petition in support of Hayes and opposing Morley's candidacy, stating that she is more qualified and invested in Indianapolis than Morley.

Signatories include the Indianapolis library workers union president Michael Torres, 

“We feel that this is a person, (Morley), who is not going to be invested in our community whereas we have someone, (Hayes), who has generational history with this community and who would be held accountable because of that,” Torres told IndyStar prior to the decision being announced.