THINK SPACE

Nick Tanzi, the Digital Librarian, Assistant Director of the South Huntington Public Library (NY)
Nick Tanzi is a nationally recognized library technology consultant, and author of the books Making the Most of Digital Collections Through Training and Outreach (2016) and Best Technologies for Public Libraries: Policies, Programs, and Services (2020). Tanzi is a past column editor for Public Library Magazine’s “The Wired Library”. His work has also been featured in publications including Computers in Libraries, Library Journal, and Marketing Library Services.

Kelvin Watson, Director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (NV)
As executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Kelvin Watson oversees 25 branches spanning 8,000 square miles in Southern Nevada. Regarded as one of the most highly respected thought leaders in the library industry, Kelvin has been credited with expanding his customer base through outreach efforts to underserved and diverse populations and brought transformative change through ambitious and groundbreaking initiatives. Examples include the multi-award-winning partnership with the RTC of Southern Nevada, which enables instant digital library access to bus riders; a cell phone lending program, which provides low-income and homeless residents with the lifeline that smart phones deliver; and a program that enables more than 50,000 households in Southern Nevada access free personal WiFi. His dedication to implementing new and innovative ways to meet new and existing customers “where they are” using non-traditional methods garnered Kelvin and his libraries numerous awards, including: ALA Library of the Future (2022 and 2023); ALA Medal of Excellence; Urban Libraries Council Innovation Award for Anti-Racism, Digital Equity & Inclusion; RUSA 2022 Best Emerging Technology Award; ALA Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community & Profession.

Deborah Charbonneau, Ph. D., Professor and Chair of the MLIS Program at Wayne State University
Dr. Deborah Charbonneau is a Professor in the School of Information Sciences. Prior to joining the faculty, she held positions at the Vera P. Shiffman Medical Library at Wayne State University and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah. She also served as Principal Investigator for the Urban Health Partners program, a public health outreach project funded by the National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health where she facilitated partnerships between the library and community agencies to address issues of health equity and health disparities. Her research has been funded by various government organizations and encompasses investigations into how information technologies can be effective in enhancing the skills of health providers serving historically underrepresented communities. Her recent peer-reviewed published journal articles focus on emerging library services during the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence syntheses to combat pandemic misinformation. Deborah was a visiting Research Fellow at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. in Fall 2018. She was selected as the 2015-2017 New Leader for the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T).

Jessamyn West, Librarian and Technologist
Jessamyn West is a consultant, researcher and international public speaker on library science and digital divide issues. She is the author of a 2011 book Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide which explores the challenges of a society becoming stratified by computer skills as well as race and income inequality. Jessamyn speaks to local, regional, and national libraries and library associations and is a regular Computers in Libraries columnist writing on these and other issues relating to the status and roles of libraries in the modern changing world. She has put her skills to good use for fifteen years teaching basic technology classes at Randolph Technical Career Center's adult education program. In addition to being a community technologist and writer, she has taught Community Engagement at University of Hawai'i at Manoa's Library & Information Science Program, and is the technology coordinator for the Vermont Library Association (VLA). She created the "Passport to Vermont Libraries" program and was the recipient of VLA's Library Advocate of the Year Award in 2016, and was recently a Fellow at Harvard's Library Innovation Lab. She holds a BA from Hampshire College and an MLib. from the University of Washington.

Margaret Sullivan, Margaret Sullivan Studio
Margaret Sullivan is a national thought leader in assisting public libraries envision their preferred future. Margaret leads Margaret Sullivan Studio, a full-service strategy and design firm, collaborating with innovative library systems internationally. Since the firm’s founding in 2014, MSS has become the industry leader in re-envisioning the 21st century library for diverse and complex contemporary communities, with a focus on social justice and racial equity. Margaret has assisted over thirty public library systems, including Grand Rapids Public Library, New York Public Library, DC Public Library, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Richland Library, New Haven Free Public Library, Salt Lake City Public Library, Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library and Memphis Public Library define their version of what a 21st century library can be through strategic planning, facilities master planning, visioning, programming, and interior design. Prior to establishing her own firm, Margaret worked for prestigious architecture firms including H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture as Director of Interior Design. In 2017, Margaret was named one of Interior Design Magazine’s Rising Stars.

Karla Alvarez, Equity and Inclusion Services Manager at the San José Public Library
Karla Alvarez (pronouns: she/ella) is the Equity and Inclusion Services Manager for San José Public Library, steering projects to better serve San José’s historically underrepresented and underserved communities. Prior to joining the Library, she was a seasoned nonprofit executive, with more than fifteen years of experience leading national and international projects to strengthen youth leadership, gender equity, immigrant justice and human rights. She served as Executive Director of Mixteca Organization in Brooklyn, New York and other leadership positions for projects in Mexico, Guatemala and other countries. Committed to giving back to her community, she serves as the Vice Chair of the Latino Leadership Alliance and board director for Grail Family Services. Alvarez received her Master's degree in International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame and Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego. She was named a 2023 Library Journal Mover & Shaker Innovator for her equity work. 

Kathi Inman Berens, Associate Professor of Book Publishing and Digital Humanities at Portland State University
Dr. Kathi Inman Berens is a U.S. Fulbright Scholar of digital culture, former Annenberg Innovation Lab Fellow, prize-winning author, and Associate Professor of Book Publishing and Digital Humanities at Portland State University. She is co-author of two reports for the American Library Association about Gen Z and millennial public library use and the digital public library ecosystem. Her latest project is about the bookish behaviors of people who identify as “non-readers.”

Rachel Noorda, Director and Associate Professor of Publishing at Portland State University
Dr. Rachel Noorda is Director and Associate Professor of Publishing at Portland State University. She is an internationally recognized scholar of book culture and consumption. She has co-written three reports on library use with Dr. Kathi Inman Berens, published through the American Library Association and Panorama Project.

Mary Brown, EdD, MAOL Senior Consultant, DEI Center of Expertise, Steelcase Inc; Adjunct Faculty, Grand Rapids Community College Psychology and Business Departments
Mary stands at the crossroads of technology adoption and human-centric organizational change. With over a decade of experience empowering leaders and organizations to bolster their workforce capacity, she is evolving into a trusted consultant for integrating emerging technologies into workplace cultures. Passionate about the ethical and practical adoption of AI and other innovations, Mary advocates for solutions, prioritizing people at their core ensuring technology is an enabler rather than a disruptor. At Steelcase, Mary works as a Culture Consultant and collaborates with colleagues across the organization to ensure that people are at the heart of every strategic decision.

Cathryn Copper, Zeidler Library at the University of Toronto
Cathryn works at the intersection of libraries and architecture. As the head of the Eberhard Zeidler Library at the University of Toronto, her current research explores technology and experimentation in libraries. She has spoken on the topic of experimentation at several national and international conferences including the Association of College & Research Libraries and SXSW EDU. Her talk on the use of artificial intelligence and augmented reality in libraries at SXSW EDU was featured as one of the “biggest and most pressing ideas”. She is the author of The Experimental Library: A Guide to Taking Risks, Failing Forward, and Creating Change.

Dennis Jensen, C2AE
Dennis Jensen, AIA, ALA, MLA, is a 43-year veteran of the design industry. A trained architect, Dennis has dedicated thousands of hours developing designs for over 30 public libraries. He develops creative solutions to client-specific needs by actively listening and transforming ideas into real designs using concept sketches. He plans within budget to design attractive, lasting environments that promote their intended use.

Chloë Aalsburg, C2AE