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LILRC Webinar: How Libraries Harness Technology to Create Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
October 21, 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Technology is an invaluable tool in the mission to make our society fully equitable, diverse and inclusive. In this session, Kelvin Watson, Executive Director, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, will discuss how the 38-branch Broward County Library system (his previous library system) used technology in their quest to achieve those goals, and how he plans to increase the technology offerings at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, and suggest how other cultural and educational institutions may do so also.
Technology has been a means of outreach to “invite the uninvited” and extend our values into the community at large. This presentation will explore successfully harnessing technology to philosophy in service to our beliefs about equity, diversity and inclusion.
Presenter:
As the new executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Kelvin Watson brings innovative, award-winning leadership to Nevada’s largest library system. Watson oversees 25 branches spanning 8,000 square miles, a budget of $77 million, 700 employees, and a collection of 3.2 million items. Mr. Watson joined the Library District from his role as the director of the Broward County Libraries. Regarded as one of the most highly respected thought leaders in the library industry, he is credited with expanding his customer base in past library management roles, through outreach efforts to underserved and diverse populations.
He was named the 2021 winner of the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award, for his dedication to implementing new and innovative ways to meet customers – both existing and new – “where they are,” with initiatives targeting non-traditional library users. Under his leadership, the Florida Library Association (FLA) named Broward County Libraries as the 2020 Library of the Year; FLA named Mr. Watson as the 2019 Librarian of the Year; and the American Library Association (ALA) named the Broward County Libraries as the Library of the Future, all of which he credits to the work of his staff.
