Doughnuts with Directors! (Roanoke Public Library Director, Amber Lowery)

Come join us for a special edition of Directors with Doughnuts as we welcome the new Roanoke Public Library Director, Amber Lowery. Amber began her career with our library system in 2005 and has dedicated more than 20 years to serving our community. She holds a degree in Communications from Virginia Tech and a Master of Library Science from Florida State University. For 15 years, Amber served as Youth Services Manager, overseeing system-wide programming, staff development, and service expansion across all branches. During that time, she helped launch and grow impactful initiatives such as Star City Reads, a nationally recognized early literacy effort, and Feed and Read, a partnership addressing food insecurity among children in our community. Under her leadership, the Summer Reading Program has continued to thrive, fostering a lifelong love of reading and learning throughout Roanoke. In early 2024, Amber stepped into the role of Assistant Library Director, where she focused on building trust, strengthening community connections, and ensuring our services remain responsive to the diverse needs of our residents. Amber is deeply committed to mentoring staff, cultivating leadership within the organization, and creating inclusive, innovative spaces that empower and uplift our community. Her experience, vision, and dedication make her exceptionally well prepared to lead our library system into its next chapter. We hope you will join us to meet Amber and help us celebrate this exciting new chapter for Roanoke Public Libraries!