Galen Charlton, 2018 Candidate for LITA Director-at-Large

Photo of Galen Charlton

Statement

The tools we as library technologists choose to use exist in an ethical context that we cannot ignore. Technology is not neutral; we can all too readily imagine a world where library technology invades patron privacy rather than protects it; where it algorithmically amplifies biases rather than improves equitable access to information. But we can also imagine a better world: building tools collaboratively and making technical choices that match our best library ethics. Our choices about how we choose to support our colleagues and mentor the next generation affect whether our profession will ultimately reflect everyone we serve. However, no one can go it alone; I believe that LITA and ALA have an important role to play in buttressing our professional ethical choices. As a long-time member of LITA and allied professional organizations and collaborations, I pledge to use my experience to further ethical library technology and strengthen LITA. 

Current Position

Infrastructure and Added Services Manager, Equinox Open Library Initiative, Duluth, GA

Type of Organization

Library IT service provider

Previous Positions

Vice President of Research and Development, LibLime, 2007-2009
Data Migration Analyst, Ex Libris Group, 2002-2007

Degrees and Certificates

Millersville University, BS Mathematics, 1998

Division Affiliations

LITA, ALCTS

Round Table Affiliations

Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT) 
Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) 

Were you a Spectrum Scholar?

No

Were you an Emerging Leader?

No

ALA and/or ALA-APA Activities

IFC Privacy Subcommitee, 2017-2019
LITA Nominating Committee, 2016
LITA 2018 Forum Planning Commitee, 2017-2018
LITA Open Source Systems IG, chair, 2010-2013; vice-chair, 2013-2015 
LITA Patron Privacy Technologies IG, chair, 2014-2015
Co-organizer of the "Migrating to open source library systems" LITA Preconference at ALA Annual 2010
Co-presenter at the "Practical Linked Data with Open Source" LITA Preference at ALA Annual 2014
Co-presenter at the ALCTS Forum Mashcat Panel at ALA Midwinter 2016
 

Offices Held in State, Regional, and Other Library Associations

Code4Lib, Member, 2017 Conference Local Planning Committee
Code4Lib, Vice-chair, 2018 Conference Budget Committee
Code4Lib, Chair, Fiscal Continuity Interest Group, 2016-2017
Maschat, Co-organizer, 2016 Conference
Mashcat, Co-organizer, 2017 Conference
Evergreen Project Oversight Board, 2011-2014

Honors and Awards

Named a Library Journal "Mover and Shaker" in 2013

Major Accomplishments

For my entire career I have helped libraries use and improve their information tools, and for the past ten years have helped libraries use and improve open source software. In particular, I have had the privilege of serving as release manger for the Koha open source ILS project for three releases (3.2, 3.14, and 3.16) and as release manger for the Evergreen open source ILS project for two releses (2.10 and 3.0).
 
I have also helped promote collaboration between library technology and library metadata people, particularly via helping to organize the Mashcat events and Twitter chats.

Publications

Galen Charlton: "Distributed Version Control and Library Metadata", Code4Lib Journal, Issue 3, 2008.

Links to Further Information

Number of Years as an ALA Member

14

 

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