Letter from the Editor (December 2019)

Kenneth J. Varnum

doi:10.6017/ital.v38i4.11923

Kenneth J. Varnum University of Michigan http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0091-1037

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v38i4.11923

Abstract

On the international impact and importance of an open access library technology journal.

Author Biography

Kenneth J. Varnum, University of Michigan

Ken Varnum is the Senior Program Manager for Discovery, Delivery, and Library Analytics at the University of Michigan Library. In this role, Ken is responsible for Library Search, the library's discovery interface, delivery interfaces, and the library's evolving and emerging analytics infrastructure. He received a master's degree from the University of Michigan's School of Information and his Bachelor of Arts from Grinnell College. Over his two decades working with public-facing technology in academic, corporate, and special libraries, he has gained a deep appreciation and understanding of the need to tailor systems and interfaces to the local user base.

A frequent speaker and author, Ken presents and writes about discovery systems, library analytics, and technology. In addition to numerous articles and chapters, he wrote "Drupal in Libraries" (2012), edited Lorcan Dempsey's "The Network Reshapes the Library" (2014), and compiled four books: "The Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know" (2014), "Exploring Discovery: The Front Door to Your Library’s Licensed and Digitized Content" (2016), "Beyond Reality: Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality in the Library" (2019) and the LITA Guide "The New Top Technologies Every Librarian Needs to Know" (2019). He blogs at rss4lib.com and can be found on Twitter at @varnum.