Senior Director of Library Services
Sara White (she/her) is the Senior Director of Library Services at AMDA, overseeing both the LA and NY libraries. Sara holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music performance, focusing on bassoon, from Michigan State University. She received her MLIS from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Sara has freelanced as a bassoonist throughout the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Connecticut. She established a successful bassoon studio in Lansing, MI with over twelve students. In addition to her performance experience, Sara held several full time positions with the Michigan State University Libraries, including several years as the manager of the Fine Arts Library. During her career as a librarian, Sara has served as the Development Officer for the national Music Library Association, Chair of the Instruction Committee for the New England Music Library Association, and Chair of the Greater New York Music Library Association. When Sara isn't playing her bassoon or reading a good book, you can find her spending time with her husband, daughter, and pug.
Library Information Assistant (LIA)
Alma Mater(s): New York University, Tisch School of the Arts
Area(s) of Study: Drama (Acting, Playwriting, Directing, Design) & History
Favorite Musical: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Favorite Play: Fat Ham by James Ijames, The Humans by Stephen Karam, The Flick by Annie Baker
Hobbies: reading, baking, embroidery, going to the movies
Director of NY Library Services
Catherine Hammer (she/her) is the Director for NY Library Services at AMDA. Catherine holds a BFA in Ballet and a BA in Musical Theatre with a minor in music from Friends University in Wichita, KS and received her MLIS from Simmons University in Boston, MA. Prior to becoming a librarian, Catherine was a theater performer with regional theaters and touring productions around the United States, Canada, and China; in addition to work onstage, she often served as as Music Director and/or accompanist during which she was able to utilize her classical piano training. She has worked as a librarian at Milligan University in Johnson City, TN and for Broward County Libraries in Florida, and while studying in Boston, she had the opportunity to work in the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library at Harvard and the Albert Alphin Library at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. During this time, she also completed an internship in the music department at the Boston Public Library which involved organizing and encoding portions of the Minuetta Kessler Archives; later that year, Catherine gave a presentation about the composer and her collection at the New England Music Library Association Spring Meeting.
Library Information Assistant (LIA)
Alma Mater(s): University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Arizona State University
Area(s) of Study: Voice, Opera, Musical Theatre, Theatre
Favorite Musical: Legally Blonde, Sweeney Todd
Favorite Play: A Doll's House, Part 2 by Lucas Hnath, The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh, Amadeus by Peter Schaffer
Hobbies: comedy, drawing, cooking, reading, exploring the city