From Reactive to Proactive: Tech Today and Post-COVID

Hosts

Carolyn Coulter: Over the course of 25-plus years in library service, Carolyn has had the privilege of working in various types of library organizations. She began her career at Gaylord Information Services (later Polaris). She later took a position at the Boston Public Library and served as the Applications Manager and eventually the Chief Technology Officer. From Boston, She moved to the Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado, where she held the position of Information and Virtual Services Officer, in charge of both the IT and Technical Services departments. She is now the Director of the PrairieCat, a multi-type library consortium in northern Illinois serving 136 member libraries.

Carson Block has lead & loved library technology efforts for more than 25 years. He's been called a "Geek who speaks English" and occasionally compared to Ferris Bueller and Calvin (and Hobbes). Carson is dead serious about the essential and positive community impacts of libraries and focuses his consulting practice on helping libraries increase their capacity to serve patrons. Carson is the author of Library Information Systems (with Joe Matthews; Libraries Unlimited 2019) and Managing Library Technology: A LITA Guide (Rowman & Littlefield 2017).

Elizabeth Smith is the Training and Outreach Coordinator at PrairieCat, a multi-type library consortium with 136 members. In her role, she coordinates the consortium’s online training platform so members can access self-paced and on-demand training. She also manages continuing education and engagement opportunities for the member libraries.

Bonnie Nichols is Carson Block’s assistant. She worked at the Poudre River Public Library District’s Circulation Department for almost 10 years. A book lover since childhood, her life has been meaningfully impacted by librarians and libraries from the very beginning. She remains a vocal advocate for libraries and the services they provide.