Galen Charlton, 2019 Candidate for LITA Director-at-Large

Photo of Galen Charlton

Statement

Code is not neutral. The technology we use in our libraries reflects and indeed embodies our professional values. LITA members can help ensure that our tools match our ideals, and if elected as a Director-at-Large of the LITA Board, I pledge to help the division help our members -- and thus our patrons. However, LITA is at a critical point in its history. The Steering Committee considering the potential merger of LITA, ALCTS, and LLAMA has made great strides in its work but has recognized that more time is needed to weigh options. If elected as a member of LITA's board, I will support the work of the Steering Committee in any way I can. Whether or not a merger ultimately happens, I will also use my experience working with organizational issues around Code4Lib and its conference to help ensure the sustainability of LITA or any super-division it joins. 

Current Position

Infrastructure and Added Services Manager
Equinox Open Library Initiative

Previous Positions

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

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 manager for the Koha open source ILS project for three releases (3.2, 3.14, and 3.16) and as release manager for the Evergreen open source ILS project for two releases (2.10 and 3.0).
 
As a member of various groups within Code4Lib, I have helped Code4Lib organize several successful international library technology conferences and assisted the process of Code4Lib finding an organizational home with the Digital Library Federation.
 
I have also helped promote collaboration between library technology and library metadata people, particularly via helping to organize the Mashcat events and Twitter chats.

Honors and Awards

  • Named a Library Journal "Mover and Shaker" in 2013

Publications

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

Degrees and Certificates

  • Millersville University, BS Mathematics, 1998

Division Affiliations

  • ALCTS
  • LITA

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 Subcommittee, 2017-2019
  • OITP Advisory Committee, LITA Representative, 2018-2020
  • LITA Nominating Committee, 2016
  • LITA 2018 Forum Planning Committee, 2017-2018
  • LITA 2019 Forum Planning Committee, 2018-2019
  • LITA Open Source Systems Interest Group, chair, 2010-2013; vice-chair, 2013-2015 
  • LITA Patron Privacy Technologies Interest Group, 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 Preconference 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, Co-Chair, 2019 Conference Budget and Sponsorship Committee
  • Code4Lib, Chair, Fiscal Continuity Interest Group, 2016-2017
  • Code4Lib, Vice-Chair, Fiscal Continuity Working Group, 2017-2018
  • Mashcat, Co-organizer, 2016 Conference
  • Mashcat, Co-organizer, 2017 Conference
  • Evergreen Project Oversight Board, 2011-2014

Links to Further Information

 

< Go to the 2019 Election Information page