As Digital Library Branch Manager, Mike is responsible for the Library Website and Digital Collections. He also supervises the staff in Information Technology, Marketing, and Technical Services (materials processing, cataloging, etc.). He currently leads the library's Collection Development, Tech, and Marketing teams. 

He worked in various paraprofessional positions at Columbus Metropolitan Library for over 7 years and very briefly as a Librarian at ITT Technical Institute in Columbus before serving as the Director of the Loudonville Public Library from July 2011 to May of 2018. He served as Director of the Defiance Public Library System from June of 2018 until July 2019. Mike started at Ashtabula Public Library as Information Services Manager in late 2019 and was promoted to lead the new Digital Branch in 2020.

Mike grew up in Hilliard outside of Columbus and graduated from Hilliard Darby HS. Thornton earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Ohio State University in Winter of 2005 and a Masters in Library & Information Science from Kent State University in August 2008.

Thornton’s professional interests lie in accessibly expanding library services through technology and finding new ways to tell the library's story and bring more people into the library. He is an advocate for the goal of all public libraries to be of service to everyone in their communities and believes libraries should seek to have the broadest practical impact.