The Innovative Library

Kelvin Watson

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.

Sonia Alcantara-Antoine

Sonia Alcántara-Antoine is the CEO of Baltimore County Public Library, overseeing 19 branches, 550 staff, and a $51 million budget. Named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women and a 2023 Leader in Diversity by the Baltimore Business Journal, she serves as past president of the Public Library Association.

Sonia is an advocate for intellectual freedom and was critical to the passage of Maryland's Freedom to Read Act in 2024. Previously, she directed Newport News Public Library and held leadership roles at Virginia Beach Public Library and Enoch Pratt Free Library. An ALA Spectrum Scholar, Sonia holds master's degrees in library science from Florida State University and Public Administration from Old Dominion University.

She is a renowned speaker and thought leader of the art and science of library leadership, actively shaping the profession for today and tomorrow.

Michael Lambert

Michael Lambert is the City Librarian for the City and County of San Francisco. During his tenure, the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) was named the 2018 National Library of the Year by Library Journal. Michael Lambert has championed increased and equitable access to libraries through expanded hours and a fine-free library system. He is the first Asian American to lead the San Francisco Public Library.

Prior to his employment with the City and County of San Francisco, Lambert managed library operations at San Mateo County Libraries and at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in North Carolina. He began his career in his hometown of Columbia, South Carolina at the Richland Library. He is an alumnus of the University of South Carolina with a degree in History and earned his Master of Library and Information Science Degree from South Carolina’s College of Library & Information Science.

He currently serves as the President of the Public Library Association (PLA).

Jamar Rahming

Jamar Rahming is the Executive Director and CEO of the Wilmington Institute Free Library in Wilmington, Delaware, a position he has held since 2018. Growing up as a latchkey kid in inner-city Denver, Colorado, during the 1980s and 1990s, Rahming found refuge in public libraries, which inspired his lifelong passion for literacy and community engagement. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Africana Studies from the University of Northern Colorado (2006) and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (2008).

Under his leadership, the Wilmington Public Library has transformed into a vibrant cultural and educational hub, serving over 200,000 patrons annually with a staff of nearly 30. Rahming has spearheaded innovative programs, including partnerships with local barbershops to promote youth literacy, a “Pitch or Ditch” competition for minority-owned businesses, and a diaper bank with nonprofit Harper’s Heart. His focus on pop culture and humanities has brought notable (and sometimes controversial) figures like Dennis Rodman, Herschel Walker, Angela Davis, Dolly Parton, LeVar Burton, and Misty Copeland to the library, fostering social cohesion in a diverse, often segregated community.

Rahming’s achievements have earned him accolades such as the 2023 Library Journal Movers & Shakers Community Builders Award, the 2024 Delaware Business Times Medium Nonprofit CEO of the Year, and the 2025 I Love My Librarian Award from the American Library Association. In 2025, he was elected the 2026–2027 President of the Public Library Association. The library itself received the 2022 National Medal for Museum and Library Services and was named the 2024 Library Journal Marketer of the Year. Rahming credits his success to a strong team and a belief in the power of literacy to liberate and uplift communities.