About

Learning and growing for increased impact.

How it started.

When working with library systems and consortia across the country, library consultants Amanda Standerfer of Fast Forward Libraries and Cindy Fesemyer of Fesemyer Consulting heard over and over how stagnant some library-memberships organizations felt. This need for thoughtful growth drove Amanda and Cindy to create the Alliance for Library Impact (ALI).

ALI is dedicated to helping library-membership organizations develop capacity and vision, and drive innovation through professional development, strategic planning, leadership support, and more. Reach out to find out what we can do for you.

Vision

Stellar libraries everywhere.

Mission

We help library-membership organizations thrive to best serve their member libraries.

Who we are.

Learn more about our team.

Amanda E. Standerfer

Amanda’s passion is helping libraries and nonprofit organizations advance so they can create meaningful impact in their communities. Since 2002, Amanda has served as a consultant and facilitator, working with libraries, nonprofits, and small businesses on strategic planning, fundraising, organizational development, and capacity building (operating as a sole proprietor until formalizing as Fast Forward Libraries LLC in early 2022).

Amanda was most recently the director of member engagement for The Urbana Free Library (IL). She’s spent about half of her career working in philanthropy (as program officer for The Lumpkin Family Foundation based in Mattoon, IL and as program director with the Southeastern Illinois Members Foundation, serving Effingham and Mattoon, IL) and the other half in libraries (as head of the Adult Division at the Decatur Public Library (IL) and as director of the Helen Matthes Library in Effingham, IL). She loves melding her library and philanthropy knowledge — a self-proclaimed “philanthro-brarian.”

Amanda has twice been elected to the Board of the Illinois Library Association (ILA), most recently completing a three-year term in 2016. Amanda was also selected as a member of the first class of Synergy: The Illinois Library Leadership Initiative and one of only two librarians ever selected for participation in Leadership Illinois.

Cindy Fesemyer

Helping organizations see the big picture as they help their communities reach their aspirations is Cindy Fesemyer's passion as the principal of Fesemyer Consulting, LLC. Community engagement, qualitative assessment, strategic planning, engaged leadership, director coaching, and staff and trustee trainings are her areas of expertise. She also teaches continuing education courses for the UW-Madison iSchool and sits on various committees of the Public Library Association.

Previously she was employed at the Wisconsin State Library as the adult and community services consultant and served for seven years as director of the Columbus Public Library (WI) which was named a finalist for Library Journal's 2017 Best Small Library in America. She served eight years as a Trustee for the Madison Public Library.

After 14 years managing nonprofits, Cindy earned her MLIS from UW-Madison in 2012. She also earned dual master’s in English literature and teaching writing from Humboldt State University.

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