Amanda Doherty, Secretary

Mt. Pulaski Public Library District, Mt. Pulaski, IL


Professional Background

I received my Bachelor of Arts from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a double major in Political Science and Classics, graduating from the University Honors Program and Magna Cum Laude. I have worked in my library since 2013, becoming the Director in January 2018. I graduated from the ARSL Leadership Institute in 2022 and recently completed Illinois' Director's University and Director's University 2.0. Additionally, I serve on the Illinois SHARE Empowering Libraries Finance and Policy Committee and recently worked to raise funds to launch two new programs for all member libraries. Headshot of Amanda Doherty.

I have presented at several conferences on empathy, leading with passion, imposter syndrome, and building partnerships in your community. As a leader in my library, I lead with compassion, kindness, and positivity to ensure everyone on our library's staff feels part of the team and empowered to create new and interesting projects.

As a board member, I currently represent one of the smallest libraries. This position allows me to advocate for the needs and voice the concerns of extremely small libraries. I am passionate about libraries, library work, and librarians, and my goal is to provide support and encouragement to my fellow board members, the ARSL office staff, and our entire membership.

 

What inspired you to get involved with the board?

The change and growth I experienced after being selected for the ARSL Leadership Institute made me want to give back. ARSL changed my life! After the Leadership Institute, I volunteered for the Membership Committee and ran for my first board position.  

I want the ARSL board to be visible and always available to the membership. At conferences, I meet as many people as possible and provide a welcoming space for members to connect with and get to know our volunteer leaders. This board is a group of people passionate about small and rural libraries, and we strive to understand our members' needs and always fight for what they need.  

I have now co-presented with Lisa Thompson at three ARSL Conferences. This last presentation in Springfield, MA, meant so much to me because we had 100 individuals in the audience, and so many related to our discussion. We encouraged the audience to create partnerships in their community but not to give too much of themselves that they burn out. I was proud of this session because it resonated with the audience, and even if we only encouraged one person to practice self-care, we made an immediate difference.

Why is the mission of the Association for Rural & Small Libraries important to you? 
Advocating for small and rural libraries is key to why I like being involved in ARSL.
"While one small stand-alone library does a lot for just one community, we can do anything when we join a coalition and expand our reach even further. "

As a board member, I am passionate about: 1) Encouraging our more diverse membership to get involved with committees and leadership in the organization. I want everyone to feel like they have a place at the ARSL table. 2) Making our conference more sustainable in any way possible, such as reducing paper and offering more recycling opportunities.

 

What are your favorite library programs and books or genres?

We had a petting zoo for our Summer Reading Finale a few years ago. The kids and parents loved it, and I got to hold a sloth! It was amazing.

I love romance and dystopian novels. My recent favorites are The Heartstopper series, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, November 9th, Hunger Games, Divergent, and Untamed. My favorite authors are Abby Jimenez, Emily Henry, Colleen Hoover, Christina Lauren, and Katherine Center.

 

Back to Board of Directors