Robert D. Putnam is the Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the British Academy, and past president of the American Political Science Association, in 2006 he received the Skytte Prize, the world’s highest accolade for a political scientist. In 2012 Barack Obama awarded Bob the National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest honor for contributions to the humanities. He has written fifteen books, translated into twenty languages, including Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Italy and Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, both among the most cited (and bestselling) social science works in nearly a century. He has consulted for Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama, as well as presidents and prime ministers from the UK, Ireland, and Finland to South Korea and Singapore. His most recent book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again (2020), is a widely praised study of broad 20th century American economic, social, political, and cultural trends.

Shaylyn Romney Garrett is a writer and social entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of connection, community, and healing in an increasingly fragmented world. She is the co-author with Robert D. Putnam of The Upswing: How America Came Together A Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again (Simon & Schuster 2020). Her work also includes the uniquely revealing portraits of religious communities across the United States published in the award-winning book, American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (2011). She is a founding contributor to the Aspen Institute’s initiative, Weave: The Social Fabric Project, and writes about her personal journey back to community on her blog, Project Reconnect. Shaylyn has also had a successful career as a social entrepreneur. With her husband, James Garrett, she co-founded Think Unlimited, a venture working to catalyze social innovation in the Middle East. She lived in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for six years while building Think Unlimited, and partnered with Queen Rania Al-Abdullah to bring experiential learning to Jordanian public schools. Shaylyn’s work (including an original Arabic language curriculum on creativity and critical thinking—one of the very first ever developed in the region) has been featured by the New York Times, FastCompany, LinkedIn, Harvard Business Review, and Arab Investor. In 2011 she was honored with the prestigious Draper Richards Kaplan Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship, and was a finalist in the global Echoing Green Competition. She was twice awarded a membership to the Clinton Global Initiative, and has been a speaker at TEDx. Shaylyn holds a BA magna cum laude in Government from Harvard University, and is a returned Peace Corps volunteer. She is also a certified Holistic Health Coach, as well as a permaculturalist who loves to get her hands in the dirt, and thinks a lot about healthy soils as a model for thriving human communities. She lives in the beautiful red rock desert of Southern Utah with her husband, her seven-year-old daughter, Sophie, her infant son, Aeon, and her loyal dog Dewey (named after one of her favorite philosophers!)

Dianne Connery has been committed to rural public libraries since 2010. She earned a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University and a Master of Gerontology from the University of North Texas. Ms. Connery is actively invested in efforts to improve broadband access and digital inclusion in rural communities.

She is passionate about inspiring others and advocating for the work of rural libraries, with an emphasis on addressing the technology needs of the community. The Pottsboro Library was named one of the “Top Three Best Small Libraries in America” in 2017. Ms. Connery was honored as an Innovator in Library Journal’s “Movers & Shakers class of 2021”.

Carmen Patlan is a leading force in engaging and serving families in Lake County for over the past 20 years. Currently serving as the Executive Director at Highwood Public Library, her strategic vision and innovative community engagement strategies have led her to be the first and only formerly undocumented Latina woman to win two Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Gold Medals. Waukegan Public Library and Highwood Public Library, Carmen developed relevant resources and programs to address barriers in the community that impacted underserved and historically marginalized populations. Her ground-breaking strategies draw awareness to the need for recognizing and responding to the barriers undocumented families face. Her work in developing community-driven programs has helped thousands of community members pursue their goals of increasing their literacy, including learning to read, obtaining a driver’s license, achieving their GED and strengthening their English skills.

Carmen envisioned and helped found the House of Peace, a culturally-informed shelter for women and children struggling with domestic violence in 2007. The program continues to serve some of the most vulnerable women and children in Lake County. In 2013, Carmen’s work led the Waukegan Public Library to the White House to receive an IMLS National Award, and in 2014 Carmen was recognized by the Library Journal as a Library Mover and Shaker. Carmen also served as Chief Development Officer for A Safe Place, Lake County’s largest provider of services focused on victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. At A Safe Place, she was responsible for securing the agency’s overall annual operating budget of $4.1M. During one of the most difficult times in our nation’s history, Carmen and the team at the Highwood Public Library responded to families in need struggling with the impact of COVID-19. These efforts won Carmen her second IMLS National Award making Highwood Public Library one of the top three libraries in the nation.

Carmen is a tireless advocate, always seeking out social justice and equity for the marginalized populations she works with in Lake County. She loves spending time with her family and four grandchildren, enjoys adventures and visiting her hometown in Mexico.

Felton Thomas, Jr. has served as Executive Director of Cleveland Public Library (CPL) since January, 2009.

As Director of Cleveland Public Library, Thomas has launched initiatives aimed at addressing community needs in the areas of access to technology, education, and economic development.

Director Thomas’ awards and accomplishments include being named a “Mover and Shaker” by the Library Journal and being named a White House Champion of Change for Making in 2016. Nationally, in 2015, Felton was elected as President-Elect of the Public Library Association (PLA), served as President in 2016. Felton is currently the Vice Chair of the Digital Public Library of America. He also serves as a trustee on the boards of FRONT International, University Circle Inc., Cleveland Museum of Art and United Way of Greater Cleveland.

Felton lives in Shaker Heights with his wife and has two college-aged daughters. He is an accomplished musician and has become a devoted Cleveland sports fan since his arrival on the shores of Lake Erie.

Tim Coates is the author of the two ‘Freckle reports, 20 and 21’. These will form his contribution to the debate. He has played a key role in the book industry for over forty years. He was managing director of Waterstone’s the UK leading book retailer, and chief executive of several other book retailers including WH Smith in Europe. He has participated in library matters for 25 years and published several major reports and articles including ‘On the closure of English public libraries’; ‘Who is in Charge: Responsibility for public libraries’ and ‘The Good Library Guide’ (Berkshire Press). He was UK general manager of YBP, the academic library wholesaler in the UK, as part of Baker and Taylor. He has advised at length both the public and academic library operations of Sirsidynix and of Innovative Interfaces, the library management systems companies. He has three times been cited as ‘The best bookseller’, one of those times by Peter Mayer of Penguin books in New York, once by Paul Hamlyn the international publisher, and once by The Bookseller in the UK. He is a published author of both British and American history titles. He has Masters degrees from Oxford University in Engineering Science and from Stirling University in Economics. He lives in London.

Tony Ageh is The New York Public Library’s Chief Digital Officer, responsible for the institution’s ongoing digital transformation and its visionary work in making its collections and services as accessible as possible. Ageh comes to the Library from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London where he held a variety of leadership positions since 2002 and managed over 300 staff members. His accomplishments include the development and implementation of the BBC’s internet strategy, which grew its web traffic from 2 million users per day to over 25 million over a five-year period, and the creation and implementation of the BBC iPlayer (an internet streaming catchup television and radio service for people in the United Kingdom), which has delivered over 10 billion programs to the British public and on average receives 10 million requests per day. Most recently, Ageh acted as controller of the BBC’s Archive Strategy, making their substantial archives of radio, television, images, and documents—and by extension British culture and creativity— increasingly accessible to the public in the UK and beyond. In 2015, Ageh was awarded the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by the Queen, for services to digital media.

Jennie Garner (she/her) is the library director at the North Liberty Library (IA) where she has served in a variety of roles for 25 years, the last six as library director. Garner is a staunch advocate for rural libraries and is currently serving as the Vice-President/President Elect of the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL). She also as the immediate past president of the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature Executive Board. Garner is a 25-year member of the Iowa Library Association (ILA) and this year started her second term on the ILA Executive Board (first term 2006-08). Additionally, she has served on and chaired multiple ILA subdivisions and committees including Intellectual Freedom, Library Leadership and Management Association, Public Library Forum, Leadership Committee, and Conference Planning. She has particular interests in library leadership and policy development, and in social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Garner received her MLIS from the University of Iowa.

Since 2002, Pat Losinski has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. CML has 23 locations and an operations center with 880 employees and an annual operating budget of $80M.

Prior to joining CML, Pat was executive director of Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs. He has worked for public library systems in Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado and Ohio and served on the state library boards in Illinois and Colorado. He is the past chair of the Urban Libraries Council’s Governing Board and a former Governing Board member of the International Federation of Library Associations headquartered in The Hague. Most recently, Pat is helping lead a $250M capital improvement plan for 16 new or remodeled library buildings.

CML received the Institute for Museum and Library Services National Medal in 2011 and was named Library Journal’s National Library of the Year in 2010.

Columbus CEO magazine named him 2015 CEO of the Year in the large non-profit category. He was also awarded the 2017 Regional Leadership Award by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and in 2018 received Columbus Business First’s C-Suite Awards for Most Admired Executive and Lifetime Achievement. Last year he was named University of Wisconsin’s iSchool’s 2021 Distinguished Alumnus and was inducted into the 2021 Junior Achievement of Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame.

As executive director of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Kelvin Watson oversees 25 branches run by 600+ employees, spanning 8,000 square miles, with a budget of $77 million and a collection of 3.2 million items. Kelvin has brought innovative, award-winning leadership to Nevada’s largest library system and his deep experience in fundraising, technology, program development, and demonstrated success in addressing the digital divide, has brought a new era to this library system.

Regarded as one of the most highly respected thought leaders in the library industry, Kelvin is credited with expanding his customer base in multiple library management roles, through outreach efforts to underserved and diverse populations. Two examples of these in Las Vegas are a partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, which made digital access to the library available to bus riders and won an Honorable Mention from the ULC Innovation Awards; and the Library District’s many literacy programs for adults and children, which received the Crystal Bookmark Award from the Las Vegas Book Festival.

Kelvin joined the Library District from his role as the director of the Broward County Libraries Division, where he managed through 38 locations in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida region. During his tenure at Broward County Libraries, he brought transformative change through ambitious and groundbreaking initiatives, such as streamlining access to resources, introducing new technology, and developing new collaborative partnerships. He was named the 2021 winner of the Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award, sponsored by Novelist, 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 Kelvin’s leadership, the Florida Library Association (FLA) named Broward County Libraries as the 2020 Library of the Year. The FLA also named Kelvin the 2019 Librarian of the Year, and the American Library Association (ALA) named the Broward County Libraries the Library of the Future, all of which he credits to the work of his staff. Other awards over his career have included the 2016 inaugural ALA Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession; the 2017 DEMCO/ALA Black Caucus Award for Excellence in Librarianship;  and as the 2019 Community Service & Distinguished Achievement Honoree by the Friends of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center, just to name a few.

Previously, he served as COO/senior vice president for Queens Library, after rising through the leadership ranks of the organization from a distinguished background in technology. In his prior role as chief innovation & technology officer/vice president, information, technology, and development, he was instrumental in establishing several groundbreaking programs, and he developed and implemented digital divide strategies, which promoted equality and equity for all.

Kelvin started his career as a Commissioned Officer in the Active U.S. Army and Army Reserves. He transitioned into the private sector as a leader with Ingram Library Services, Borders Group, and The Library Corporation (TLC). These positions fueled his passion for the field of library science and he went on to join the USDA National Agricultural Library.

Throughout his career, he has remained active as a speaker and panelist at conferences and an author of articles in national library publications. He serves on the San Jose State University School of Information, Leadership, and Management Program Advisory Committee, co-chairs the American Library Association Digital Content Working Group, and serves on the American Library Association Business Advisory Group, REALM Project Steering Committee and on the Board of the Book Industry Study Group. He is a past president of Black Caucus of the American Library Association and past Public Library Association Board member.

Additionally, Kelvin has served in a diverse number of volunteer leadership roles: FLA Co-Chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Task Force, bringing together young, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals to make their voices hear within the Florida Library Association; a member of the ALA Committee on Accreditation; New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries; Metropolitan New York Library Council Board of Trustees; Asian/Pacific Librarians Association Research and Travel Awards Committee; Coretta Scott King Book Award Juror; AASL Diversity Task Force member; Spectrum Scholarship Juror; Young Librarians ALA Presidential Task Force member; Legacy South Florida magazine’s “50 Most Influential and Powerful Black Professionals of 2020; Profiled in Black Issues Book Review Jan/Feb 2006 Issue as one of the “Influential African Americans in the Book Industry”; and Parkway Alumni Hall of Fame – Class of 2006.

Kelvin earned a BS Degree in Business Administration, with a Minor in Military Science, from Lincoln University (MO). He earned his MLS Degree from North Carolina Central University. In 2019, he completed the MIT SLOAN School of Management Executive Program Certificate, Internet of Things: Business Implications and Opportunities and the MIT SLOAN School of Management Executive Program Certificate, Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy. In 2020, he completed the MIT SLOAN School of Management Executive Program Certificate, Cybersecurity, 2020. Kelvin is also a member of Life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Beta Phi Mu Honor Society.

Maryanne Wolf is a scholar, a teacher, and an advocate for children and literacy around the world. She is the Director of the newly created Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. Previously she was the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development at Tufts University. She is the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain (2007, HarperCollins), Dyslexia, Fluency, and the Brain (Edited; York, 2001), Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century (2016, Oxford University Press), and Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World (August, 2018, HarperCollins), and over 170 research publications. The recipient of the highest awards for research and teaching from multiple professional organizations, she was recently elected to the Pontifical Academy of Science.

Dipesh Navsaria, MPH, MSLIS, MD is a pediatrician working in the public interest. He blends the roles of physician, occasional children’s librarian, educator, public health professional and child health advocate.  With graduate degrees in public health, children’s librarianship, physician assistant studies, and medicine, he brings a unique combination of interests and experience together.

He is an associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine and Public Health, and a clinical associate professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the School of Human Ecology, both at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  He has practiced primary care pediatrics in a variety of settings with special interest in underserved populations, and continues to practice in outpatient settings.  He also works regionally and nationally with Reach Out and Read, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Committed to understanding how basic science can translate into busy primary-care settings via population health concepts and policy initiatives — and also be incorporated into transdisciplinary approaches across multiple sectors and schools of thought — Dr Navsaria aims to educate the next generation of those who work with children and families in realizing how their professional roles include being involved in larger concepts of social policy and how they may affect the cognitive and socioemotional development of children for their future benefit.  The various ways in which we can influence the environment around children and families — from the very micro to the most macro — to ensure they can flourish and thrive is at the heart of what he does.

Munro Richardson is Executive Director of Read Charlotte, a community initiative that unites families, educators, and community partners with the goal of improving third grade reading proficiency in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. In this role he is responsible for using research, data, and strategic funding to coordinate, integrate and align the efforts of dozens of organizations across Charlotte-Mecklenburg to improve children’s language and literacy development from birth through third grade.

Munro has worked in philanthropy for over 20 years. Munro joined Read Charlotte as the founding Executive Director in 2015. Read Charlotte is his fifth startup venture. He has received local and national recognition for his efforts at Read Charlotte.

Munro holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors, master’s degrees from both Harvard University (where he was a Mellon Fellow) and Oxford University (where he was a Rhodes Scholar), and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He is co-author with Samantha Cleaver of Read With Me: Engaging Your Young Child in Active Reading, published by Rowman & Littlefield in November 2018.

Munro is married to his high school sweetheart, Teresa, and has three daughters.

British A. Robinson is the President and CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. She has 20+ years of experience in international and domestic health, corporate social responsibility, public-private partnerships, and government relations.

Robinson served as Founding CEO of the Women’s Heart Alliance, and in leadership positions at Women for Women International and Susan G. Komen. At the U.S. Department of State, she led partnership building efforts for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Secretary Clinton’s Office of Global Women’s Issues.

Robinson holds an M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University, a B.A. in public policy/business administration from George Washington University, and an honorary doctorate from Fairfield University. She serves on the boards/advisory councils of: Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, Inter-American Foundation, Worldreader, Arlington Partners International, and XPRIZE Racial Equity Alliance.