Ginnie Cooper has been a librarian for many years. She served as head of the Multnomah County Library from 1990 to 2002. In 2013, she retired from the District of Columbia Public Library, where she served as Chief Librarian for eight years. During her career, she led libraries in five states, including in New York City as Executive Director of the Brooklyn Public Library. She believes in the power of public libraries to make a difference in the lives of individuals and to strengthen the communities they serve.

Since her retirement, Ginnie has continued to work in support of greater community understanding through board service at Poets House in New York City and on the board of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Ginnie is on the board of Literary Arts in Portland, Oregon.