Mary Doud
- Deputy Director
- 269-553-7829 | Email
Background
I grew up in southern Wisconsin and northern California. WMU’s library school drew me to Kalamazoo thirty-six years ago. I never intended to stay here, but the day after graduation, I landed my first job at KPL and…….life happens. Over the years, I’ve held several librarian and management positions. Currently, as deputy director, I oversee public services, participate in the management team, administer union contracts, and represent the library in external affiliations and coalitions. I’ve worked on a number of collaborative ventures that help the library extend its reach.
Beyond Work
In the community, I volunteer on various nonprofit boards and committees. I seem to gravitate toward organizations that empower women, value diversity, advance educational opportunities and advocate for seniors. With leisure time left over, I dabble in writing creative nonfiction and poetry, play golf, swim, garden, travel and --- oh yes--- read a little!
Career Reflections
The swift pace of change and abundant opportunities to craft new programs and services have made working at KPL the ideal career for me. Spending all these years at the same institution has never gotten stale. The field keeps reinventing itself, the needs of our patrons grow with the times and we have to stay nimble to keep up. Our staff is awesome, and it’s an honor to be a part of the KPL team. The support we enjoy from library district residents is humbling and inspiring. I try never to forget that responsibility accompanies it, in lockstep.