Woman named to top BPL post

By Sandra Miller
Back Bay Sun
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 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,” said Jeffrey B. Rudman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, in a press release. “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.”
The Trustees have been searching for a president for months, after asking Bernard A. Margolis to leave in June when his contract ended, after 11 years in the post. The search has mostly been done quietly, but at one point a few months ago, Thomas F. Birmingham, the former state Senate president and onetime candidate for governor, was cited as a candidate running against five professional librarians to take over the BPL.
Birmingham, a friend of Rudman, lacked library experience.
The Associates of The Boston Public Library, a nonprofit library support organization that critized Margolis’ ouster, reportedly hoped for a candidate with strong preservation experience to protect the BPL’s rare artifacts.
The new library president reportedly will need to smooth things over, since the Margolis ouster apparently caused many library supporters, including large donors, to threaten funding.
Ryan takes over from Deputy director Ruth Kowal, who had been serving as Acting President since July 1.
Ryan, director of the Minneapolis and Hennepin County library system since 2005, was honored by the City of Minneapolis for her leadership in the merger of the city and county library systems earlier this year.
“Strong leadership of our historic library system is crucial in creating a continuum of learning in our city,” Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. ”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 branches the Boston Public Library should be a treasure for all.”
Ryan was chosen after a six-month selection process conducted by a search committee, led 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 citywide chose from an initial group of more than 160 candidates attracted by the international search firm of Korn/Ferry.
“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 in a press release.