St. Paul's East Side Freedom Library founders stepping down

Eight years ago, Peter Rachleff and Beth Cleary founded East Side Freedom Library, transforming an old St. Paul Public Library building into a place where the histories of immigrants, labor, feminism, jazz and African Americans are nurtured and shared.

Now, another transformation is taking place.

Rachleff, a retired Macalester College labor history professor, and Cleary, who still teaches theater and dance at Macalester, are stepping down as co-executive directors. The library will hire its first paid leader to take their place. The plan is to fill the position by May 1.

"We're looking for someone younger than us to begin with," said Rachleff, 70. "And someone who believes in the mission of the library."

Located in St. Paul's most ethnically diverse neighborhood — and perhaps its most economically challenged — East Side Freedom Library combines the 26,000 books on its shelves, an extensive Hmong archive, a variety of visual and recorded arts and frequent community gatherings and workshops to advocate for social justice.

"It feels like a good time [to step aside]," Rachleff said. "We very much want to see people of color participate in this process, to take more of a leadership role here."

Applications for the new executive director position will be accepted through March 1. The pay range is $90,000 to $120,000 per year. The job description can be found here.

The husband and wife formed a nonprofit and signed a 15-year lease with the city for $1 a year. For the past eight years, they've written grants and marshaled volunteers to keep it going. While the public cannot check out books or other materials, everyone from schoolkids and book clubs to researchers and archivists have explored its collections.

It costs about $4,000 a month to operate the library, Rachleff said. Neither he nor Cleary are paid.

"We operate from the assumption that if people from diverse communities on the East Side could speak with a louder and more consistent voice, the neighborhood could gain more funding," he said, pointing to issues ranging from increased access to broadband to living-wage jobs and affordable housing. "It really feels like we're at a crossroads between past and present."

St. Paul City Council Member Nelsie Yang, who represents the area, praised Cleary and Rachleff for their work.

"They have run the East Side library in a way that's really a pillar of our community," she said, adding that they've set a high bar for the next director. "It will be so crucial to have somebody who can carry on the work, about people and building community."