Profile: Angela Thornton
Angela Thornton started as executive director for Henderson Libraries in 2014. Her career path in libraries started in 2004 as a library manager in tiny Haskell, Oklahoma, and since then she has managed libraries large and small in Oklahoma and Georgia. Prior to working in the library profession, Thornton worked for a variety of hotel chains and also twice managed a civic center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, booking a variety of meetings and events. The work in these professions built skills in customer service, event planning, and working with city and county governments – all of which are relevant to working in a library. Always active in the community where she lives, Thornton obtained her master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, and also holds a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast News from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and a master’s degree in Communications from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
AILA Activities
- Secretary, 2014-2016
Other Professional Activities
- Chair, Public Libraries Division for the Oklahoma Library Association
- Board Member, Butts County Chamber of Commerce; Exchange Club; and Lion’s Club
- She was honored with the Shining Light award for her service to the Jackson, Georgia, community in 2006. Thornton also taught workshops for the Oklahoma Department of Libraries on the topics of interpersonal skills and library marketing. Currently, Thornton is a member of the American Library Association, Nevada Library Association, Mountain Plains Library Association, American Indian Library Association, and is active in the Las Vegas Area Sigma Kappa Alumnae, her college sorority.