In October 2008, Amy E. Ryan became the first female president of the Boston Public
Library – the first municipally funded library in the United States and one of the first free public libraries in the world. As President, Ms. Ryan provides leadership to one of the most comprehensive library systems in the country. With a collection of over 22 million books, maps, manuscripts, and other items, the Boston Public Library is the Library of Last Recourse for all citizens of Massachusetts.

The Library was the first to establish neighborhood branches, and is one of the few libraries
in the world renowned for both the capacity to support scholarly research in diverse disciplines and for the quality of its branch facilities and outreach activities.

As more people turn to the Boston Public Library for an array of services and resources, Ryan is leading the development of a strategic plan for ongoing success in light of new audiences, demographic changes, expanding technology, and the public's evolving expectations for services, collections, computers, and buildings – all within the context of financial sustain-ability.

With unwavering dedication and a commitment to all citizens, Amy Ryan's vision is twofold: to set the course that will keep the BPL at the forefront in both research and service delivery at the neigh-borhood levels; and to preserve a premier library system that welcomes people from all over the world by responding to the changing needs of library users. President Ryan values partnerships and collaborates with the schools, universities, youth organizations, senior centers, literacy groups and others to leverage tax dollars to expand the input of library services. The Boston Public Library and the Boston Public Schools continue to jointly sponsor numerous programs for school-age children.

Amy Ryan has over 30 years of public library management experience and was the Director of the nationally recognized Hennepin County Library in Minnesota from 2005 to 2008. Prior
to that Ms. Ryan served in leadership positions over 28 years with Minneapolis Public Library. Ms. Ryan is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, one of which is a 2007 Resolution of the City of Minneapolis honoring and thanking Committee Co-Chair Amy Ryan for the consolidation of city and suburban libraries. In 2004, Ms. Ryan was the recipient of
the American Institute of Architects Special Award and was honored with a Resolution of the City of Minneapolis. In 2003, Ryan received a Certificate of Merit from the Minnesota Library Association.

Ms. Ryan currently serves on several boards including the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library, the Boston Public Library Foundation, the Associates of the Boston Public Library, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries Committee, and Boston After School & Beyond.

Amy Ryan has studied at the Institute for European Studies, Freiburg, Germany. She holds
a Bachelors Degree from Mankato State University in Minnesota, and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Minnesota.