The City of Dallas has a new head at the helm of their library system, as they named Manya Shorr as the Director of the Dallas Public Library, as per an official announcement made yesterday. With over two decades under her belt leading major urban library systems, Shorr is poised to bring a wealth of experience and a track record of expanding library services to the role, according to the City of Dallas.
Shorr’s professional journey through the library world is studded with tenure as Director at the Fort Worth Public Library, alongside leadership positions in Washington, D.C., Omaha, Nebraska, Sacramento, California, and Portland, Oregon. Her impressive resume includes serving as an Acting Assistant City Manager in Fort Worth. During her time in Fort Worth, her initiatives successfully increased library usage, expanded offerings in areas lacking services, and fostered new organizational partnerships.
Manya Shorr’s work has not gone unnoticed, with her being named Librarian of the Year by the Texas Library Association back in 2020. Besides, her efforts in securing various library bond packages over the years have made a significant impact on aligning library priorities with the needs of the community they serve, and they have done so with an eye on fiscal sustainability.
Before her latest appointment, Shorr has also made her mark on the international stage, coaching library leaders globally. The University of Alabama and Catholic University have both been privileged to have her as an instructor, sharing her knowledge in Library and Information Science. While managing libraries, Shorr found time to further her education, earning a B.A. from the University of Oregon, an M.L.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.
