Fitzmaurice confirmed to The Smoky Mountain News that her last day on the job will be Feb. 26, adding that she is also resigning from her position as Jackson County Librarian.

Fitzmaurice has come under scrutiny over the last year from newer FRL Board of Trustees members who questioned whether she harbored a political ideology that influenced the system’s direction.

The library system has been embroiled in several issues, including Jackson County’s withdrawal from the three-county system, its lack of ability to hire an attorney and anonymous emails containing threats sent to librarians, trustees and members of the media.

Fitzmaurice has been with FRL since 1991 and was named director in January 2023.

In a text message to SMN, FRL Board Chair Bill McGaha said he has been notified of Fitzmaurice’s resignation and laid out what he anticipates as the next steps. To begin with, a search committee will be formed to find a replacement. That will require a special called meeting, which he said will hopefully occur next week.

If not able to hire a director within 30 days of the effective date of resignation, an interim director will have to be hired. McGaha said that with a recently passed amendment to the FRL interlocal agreement, whoever is chosen won’t also be able to serve as a librarian, meaning a new Jackson County Librarian will also have to be hired, something that could be potentially complicated by Jackson’s withdrawal from the system.