Amy Ryan Named
Next President of

Boston Public Library

First woman
to hold position

               The
Board of Trustees of the Boston Public Library today named Amy Ryan as the next
President of the Boston Public Library. After a six-month nationwide search the
Trustees chose President Ryan citing her extensive knowledge of big city
library systems, her management styles, 
understanding of technology and commitment to community libraries.

 “My fellow trustees and I are delighted to
welcome Amy Ryan as the president of the Boston Public Library. Since the start
of this selection process, we have been committed to finding a strong leader with
a clear vision to guide the library. Today we accomplished that goal. We look
forward with great anticipation to working with her,” said Jeffrey B. Rudman,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, after the vote.

Amy Ryan comes to the library after
having served as Director of the Minneapolis
and Hennepin County library system since 2005. She
was honored by the City of Minneapolis
for her leadership in the merger of the city and county library systems earlier
this year. The commendation cited her Committee’s “hard work, clarity of vision
and commitment to a right and sustainable future for the library system.”

            “Strong leadership
of our historic library system is crucial in creating a continuum of learning
in our city. I trust Amy Ryan will bring the skills necessary to make our
libraries work for everyone – from the magnificent main branch at Copley to our
26 community ranches the Boston Public Library should be a treasure for all,”
Mayor Thomas M. Menino said.

President Ryan was chosen after a
six-month selection process conducted by a search committee lead by James I.
Cash, Professor Emeritus of Harvard Business School, and John H. McArthur,
former Dean of Harvard Business School. Members of the Library staff and
support groups and residents from throughout the city narrowed the field from
an initial group of over 160 candidates. The international search firm of
Korn/Ferry helped attract and screen candidates.

“I look forward to working with the
Board of Trustees, Mayor, staff and residents of Boston to build upon BPL’s many strengths and to provide library and
information services that touch and enhance the lives of all the people of
Boston.” Amy Ryan said.

For more
than 150 years, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service
in America
with revolutionary ideas and famous firsts. Established in 1848, the BPL was the first publicly supported municipal
library in America,
the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library and
the first to have a children’s room. Today, the BPL
boasts 27 neighborhood branches, free Internet access, two unique restaurants,
an award-winning website www.bpl.org
and an on-line store featuring reproductions of the BPL’s
priceless photographs and artwork. Each year, the BPL
hosts nearly 5000 programs, answers more than one million reference questions
and serves millions of people in its National
Historic Landmark
McKim Building
in Copley Square.
All of its programs and exhibits are free and open to the public. At the Boston
Public Library, books are just the beginning!

###