Meet Our Founder and Principal
Jeanne Marie Ryan
Jeanne Marie Ryan is a library director with over twenty-five years of experience in librarianship. In addition to working in a variety of public libraries, she did a brief stint in the New Jersey Department of State as the Executive Director of
Early Childhood Literacy. As the New Jersey Library Association Public Policy Chair, Jeanne Marie was the architect behind the strategy that resulted in the passage of the $125,000,000 New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act. That led to Library Journal holding their 2018 Design Institute at the Cherry Hill Public Library. She is an impactful leader, who partners, improves processes, and optimizes resources. Providing excellent library services in a cost-effective manner, as well as utilizing technology, are among her areas of expertise, as is her ability to restructure finances to allocate resources most effectively. Streamlining processes for maximum operational proficiency is one of her trademarks.
Jeanne Marie attended the State Library’s inaugural Library Leadership Academy and served as part of the advisory board for the Library Leadership Academy in its most recent incarnation. She has chaired a variety of committees for the New Jersey Library Association, as well as serving as the President
of the Libraries of Union County Consortium and the Passaic County Library System (PALS), and as a member of the 2017 Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium Assessment Committee. Jeanne Marie’s passion for outreach and advocacy is well known, and she was the New Jersey State Director for the American Library Association’s Library Legislative Day in 2017.
In addition, Jeanne Marie wrote several articles and author profiles in The Continuum Encyclopedia of Young Adult Literature. She presents on topics ranging from advocacy to series fiction to using publishing promos to enhance interest in library collections. She has received the American Library Association Putnam and Grosset Award, as well as the New Jersey Library Association’s President’s Award, and is a 2018 Library Journal Mover and Shaker.
Jeanne Marie is an active community volunteer. In addition to her work as the President of Family and Children’s Services in Elizabeth, she is a sustainer in the Junior League of Elizabeth-Plainfield. While an active member, she got invaluable advocacy experience as the Chair of the New Jersey Junior Leagues State Public Affairs Committee. She also served on the Executive Board of the Junior Leagues of New Jersey and their Mid-Atlantic Conference Committee. Jeanne Marie is a former president of the Westfield College Woman’s Club and is the immediate past president of the Rake and Hoe Garden Club of Westfield. She also served as a co-president of The Westfield Adult School before it merged with The Adult School.