Blake Carver

Librarian - Linux Sysadmin - Drupal - WordPress - IT Security

Hi! I'm Blake. I'm a librarian and I've talked about Drupal, Wordpress and IT Security & Privacy For Libraries.


Here's the Bio I use for speaking:
Blake Carver is Systems Administrator at LYRASIS Digital Technology Services, where he manages the servers and infrastructure that support their hosted ArchivesSpace, Islandora and CollectionSpace. Blake holds an MLS from SUNY Buffalo, and has worked as an academic librarian, as a programmer at a dot.com startup, and as a records manager. He's also known as the guy behind LISNews, LISWire, and LISHost. Blake was one of the first librarian bloggers (he created LISNews in 1999) and is a member of Library Journal’s first “Movers & Shakers” cohort. Blake has presented widely at professional conferences, talking about open source systems, Drupal, WordPress, and IT security & privacy for libraries.



I graduated with a BA in Psychology from State University College at Buffalo; Buffalo, NY and received my MLS from The State University of New York at Buffalo. While at UB I worked in the Lockwood Library ILL department. At UB I got my start in web development work as webmaster for one of the first web based distance learning classes. I began my career as a teaching librarian at Bryant & Stratton College where I taught computer classes and was the librarian for the southtowns campus. At the height of the .com boom I worked as a programmer for a .com startup, Synacor, in Buffalo. After the bubble burst I was The Web Librarian at The Ohio State University Libraries where I managed the web presence for the libraries.
After The Ohio State, I worked as a librarian / records manager for the New York Power Authority in Niagara Falls NY. Currently I'm the Senior Systems Administrator at LYRASIS.

During much of that time, I also ran LISHost.org, a web host for librarians from 2002 until 2020. I continue to manage one of the very first librarian blogs, LISNews.org. I have also taught as an Adjunct Faculty member at The School of Informatics Department of Library & Information Studies at UB. I am have been an Active Member of NYLA, WNYLRC and The ALA/LITA.

I was named a "Mover & Shaker" by Library Journal in 2001 in their first Movers & Shakers issue.

I try to get out and speak at conferences as much as possible, and have presented often on topics including open source systems, and IT Security & Privacy. I work with Drupal, Wordpress and Linux extensively at LISHost & LYRASIS and love talking about IT Security, Privacy and Open Source issues.
I do my best to keep track of where I'm speaking here.

Presentations:

June 2023 - TCEA 2023 virtual Librarian Conference: "Cybersecurity For Librarians"

May 2023 - LYRASIS Webinar: GitHub For Everyone

March 2023 - Performing Arts Readiness Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

June 2022 - LYRASIS Webinar: Securing Your Infrastructure: Information Security for Library System Maintainers

May 2022 - Performing Arts Readiness Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

December 2021 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

Nov 2021 - Understanding Cyber Security for Arts Organizations - Webinar for ArtsBuild TN

April 2021 - Cybersecurity in Libraries - LACONI Panel Participant

April 2021 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

April-May 2021 - A 5 week series of presentations on security for the Pacific Library Partnership.

November 2020 - SAA Webinar - Practical IT Security for Archivists

September 2020
         - Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations
         - LYRASIS Webinar: Surviving a Ransomware Attack: how libraries can prepare for disaster and respond
         - WNYLRC Webinar: What Libraries Need To Know To Survive A Ransomware Attack

June 2020 - ALA Annual - Security/Privacy talk - Conference Cancelled COVID :-(

May 2019 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

March 2020 - Code4lib - 2 Presentations:
        Talk: Is My Library in Good Hands?: Security and Privacy Best Practices Your Service Provider Should Follow
        Workshop: Practical Privacy And Security For You And Your Library

February 2020 -
        NISO Webinar: NFAIS Forethought: Cybersecurity: Protecting Your Internal Systems
        PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

October 2019 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

October 2019 - New England Library Association's 2019 Annual Conference: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Librarians"

Novemeber 2018 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

November 2018 - LITA: Cybersecurity & Privacy in Libraries and for Librarians Preconference

August 2018 - Webinar For Florida Webinars - IT Security

May 2018 - LITA Webinar: "Stay Safe From Ransomware, Hackers & Snoops by working on your IT Security"

April 2018 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

March 2018 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

January 2018 - PAR Webinar: "Understanding Cybersecurity for Performing Arts Organizations"

August 2017: All month long (Weekly) series of webinars for the RAILS system on IT Security.

March 2017:
Code4lib: Making Your Library IT Defensible: 5 Easy Things To Prevent 85% of All Targeted Cyber Intrusions
ACRL: Roundtable: IT Security And Privacy In Today's Connected Library
Computers In Libraries: Preconference Workshop with Tracy Maleeff: IT Security 101

November 2016: Webinar for LYRASIS: A Bakers Dozen of Cyber Secure Tips

November 2016, NISO Two-Part Webinar: Digital Security
-Part 1: Securing Library Systems
-Part 2: Protecting Library Resources From Piracy

October 2016 Internet Librarian: Preconference on IT Security and Privacy

November 2016: California Library Association - Take Action Against Hackers & Snoops: Digital Security and Privacy in Libraries


June 2016 ALA 2016 Annual Conference, Orlando: Panelist on The LITA Top Tech Trends Panel
June 2016 ALA 2016 Annual Conference, Orlando: "Thinking Like A Bad Guy: Hack Yourself And Your Library,"


March 2016: I did a month long series of webinars for LYRSAIS in March on IT Security

January 2016: IT Security For Librarians, ALA Midwinter 2016 in Boston

July 2015: Introducing FOSS4lib, webinar for LYRASIS

June 2015 ALA 2015 Annual Conference, San Fransisco with Alison Macrina: Digital Privacy and Security: Keeping You And Your Library Safe and Secure In A Post-Snowden World

May 2015 NCompass Live: IT Security for Libraries Webinar

April 2015 Computers In Libraries: Drupal in a Day Preconference

WNYLRC April, 2015. Panel discussion: How is your library/organization adapting to the future?

WNYRLC April, 2014. MC for the day, and spoke on the IT Tech Trends Panel.

New England Library Association's May 2013 meeting. IT Security For Libraries.[Cancelled]

November, 2013 LITA Forum, Louisville, KY, preconference on IT Security For Libraries.

September, 2013, NYLA Rudi Weiss Lecture: IT Security for Librarians.

March, 2013, Webinar for SCRLC: Digital Security: In Your Library and at Home.

April, 2013, Computers In Libraries: Hacking 101: Protecting Sites & Visitors and conducted an all day preconference workshop, "Drupal: Start to Finish in a Day"

May 2012: PLAN and NEFLIN, two webinars in one day on "IT Security for Libraries"

June 2012: New York State Library Assistants Association (NYSLAA): "Online Security for Library Assistants"

November 2012 at the NY Library Association conference part of the Emerging Trends in Technology for Librarians panel, and a session on IT Security for Libraries. Computers In Libraries March 2012, I conducted an all day preconference workshop, "Drupal: Start to Finish in a Day" and a conference session on security, "IT Security for Libraries."

NY Library Association , November, 2011 I was part of the Emerging Trends in Technology for Librarians panel, and talked about CMS systems in the talk "Tools to Manage your Website: Open Source vs. Proprietary"

Internet Librarian, October 2011, I conducted an all day preconference workshop, "Drupal: Start to Finish in a Day" and a conference session on open source CMS systems, "Drupal vs. WordPress vs. Joomla Smackdown"

Long Island Library Resources Council, September 2011 I did two back-to-back training sessions on online security and comparing the popular content management systems (CMS) out there: Drupal, WordPress, and Joomla. The sessions were titled "Online Security: Tips & Tricks," and "Compare the Big Three Open Source Content Management Systems"

Western New York Library Resources Council, September 2011 was a one day workshop, "IT Security for Libraries."

Computers In Libraries, March 2011, I did a quick CyberTour: "Online Security: Tips & Tricks."

NY Library Association Conference, Emerging Tech Trends for Librarians; NYLA Conference, November 2010.

Computers In Libraries, March 2010, I did conference session on Drupal, "Open Source Models: Hybrid ILS & Multiple Sites"

SLA-Upstate New York Chapter. In September of 2009 I was the Featured Speaker for my session "The Librarian's Toolbox: Connectivity"

NY Library Association Conference, Emerging Tech Trends for Librarians; NYLA Conference, November 2009.

Western New York Library Resources Council, May 2009, I did 2 back to back half day workshops, "Introduction to Wordpress" and "Introduction to Drupal. "

Computers in Libraries Conference, March, 2005 I did a conference on my blog, "LISNews: Collaborative Blogging"

In September of 2005 I was part of a presentation team at the ITI Blog-University. We talked about the new world of blogging.

I preseneted "Blogs, Their Impact On Information Delivery" at the Comptuers in Libraries conference in 2002, and a session entitilled "Weblogs: Information & Marketing Tools" Internet Librarian Conference, November, 2002. My first presentation as a librarian was "The Ohio State University Knowledge Bank" at The Charleston Conference Issues in Book and Serial Acquisition, November 2002


From time to time my work gets mentioned in print and online (I haven't updated this section in YEARS!):
Notable Mentions, Quotes & Articles In Print & Online:

Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians
Making the Most of the Cloud: How to Choose and Implement the Best Services
The Core Business Web: A Guide to Key Information Resources
The Information Professional's Guide to Career Development Online
Last One Out Turn Off the Lights: Is This the Future of American and Canadian Libraries?
The Accidental Systems Librarian
Keeping Current: Advanced Internet Strategies to Meet Librarian and Patron Needs
The Web Library: Building a World Class Personal Library with Free Web Resources
Casanova Was a Librarian: A Light-Hearted Look at the Profession
Net effects : how librarians can manage the unintended consequences of the Internet
First Have Something to Say: Writing for the Library Profession
Evolving Internet Reference Resources
The Librarian's Book of Lists
Marketing and Promoting Electronic Resources: Creating the E-Buzz!
Weblogs and Libraries
Blogging and RSS: A Librarian's Guide
The New OPL Sourcebook: A Guide for Solo and Small Libraries
Searcher: The Magazine for Database Professionals, Volume 12, Issues 6-10
Marketing Library Services: MLS., Volumes 16-20
You Don't Look Like a Librarian: Shattering Stereotypes and Creating Positive New Images in the Internet Age
Open Source Software for Libraries: An Open Source for Libraries Collaboration
Technology for the Rest of Us: A Primer on Computer Technologies for the Low-tech Librarian
An Interview With Blake Carver http://www.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/9460/81071
RSS: Lo-Fi Content Syndication - Quoted By Karen J. Bannan - January 2002 Issue of EContent
LISNews - School Library Journal Site of the Month July 2001
Blake Carver's modified Ranganathan's Rules for Open Sources The Accidental Systems Librarian By Rachel Singer Gordon
LJ Academic Newswire today - Quoted http://lawlibrary.ucdavis.edu/LAWLIB/march02/0304.html
Communicating Off the Page - Featured http://www.libdex.com/marylaine.html
Take My Job . . . Please! - Quoted By Karen G. Schneider American Libraries Columnist, Column for June/July 2002
First lady flexes her muscle for president - Quoted Houston Chronicle June 28, 2003, by Julie Mason
Mattering In The Blogosphere - Quoted American Libraries, March 2007, Cover Story