Karen Huffman's Vitae

Strengths and Aptitude

Passionate about making a difference and pursuing new endeavors. Compassionate for our planet, saving resources, and helping its people succeed. Consult, coach, and develop solutions around information / cloud architects and lifecycle management. Not shy about taking on leadership roles or getting people and / or "things" organized. Expertise in facilitating knowledge exchange, streamlining workflows, and improving services and systems. "Miracle worker" wannabe ;-)

  • Futuristic focus coupled with strong organizational, technical, communication, and social entrepreneurial skills.

  • Solutions architect including cloud technologies, sso services, knowledge management, information architects, user adoption strategies, portals/knowledge systems, digital libraries, document/content management systems, and metadata/format standards.

  • Proactively develop knowledge solutions for intra- and inter-organizational initiatives.

  • Facilitate, manage, and actively participate in efforts related to project-based learning, collaboration and user adoption strategies, digital initiatives, online social networks and communities, knowledge cafes, unconferences, and more!

  • Coach and train individuals on cloud technologies, enterprise management of hosted solutions, and best practices for obtaining interns/volunteers and organizing information.

  • Enjoy experimenting with new applications and tools to assess potential benefits. Gained broad experience and able to adapt to a variety of systems and applications used by organizations due to my exploratory nature.

Education

  • College of Information Studies, University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland), Graduated December 2001. Master's of Library Science (MLS) with a focus on information technology and digital libraries.

  • University of Maryland University College (College Park, Maryland), Graduated Spring 1994. Summa Cum Laude. B.A. in Behavioral Social Sciences with a minor in Management.

  • The Washington School for Secretaries (Washington, D.C.), Access 6 Program. Graduated March 1985.

  • Gettysburg College (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania), September 1981 - June 1983.

  • Winston Churchill High School (Potomac, Maryland), Graduated June 1981.

Experience

  • The Aspen Institute, Washington, DC, 2019 to Present. Information Technology Services: Manager, Applications (May 2021 to Present) and Senior SaaS Engineer (November 2019 to May 2021).

  • Corley Roofing & Sheet Metal Company, Temple Hills, MD, 1999 to 2021. Solutions architect. Consult on and implement solutions to support the business needs of the construction company.

  • National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, 1985 to 2015. Worked in three different divisions during my 30-year career. NGS Technology division: Manager, SaaS Cloud Apps and Mobile (July 2014 to December 2015); Manager, SaaS/Cloud Apps and Collaborative Technologies (June 2012 to July 2014); Manager, Technology Solutions (June 2011 to June 2012); Software as a Service (SaaS) Team Member (July 2010 to June 2011); Senior Applications & Database Administrator (June 2008 to July 2010). Libraries & Information Services: Manager of Knowledge Initiatives (March 2005 to May 2008), Senior Librarian (April 2002 to March 2005), and Systems Specialist (April 1998 to March 2002). Administrative Services division: Administrative Assistant with managerial responsibilities (September 1994 to April 1998); Systems Development Specialist (February 1992 to September 1994); Administrative Staff Assistant (January 1989 to February 1992); Senior Staff Assistant (May 1986 to January 1989); and Secretary (May 1985 to May 1986).

  • Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 2009 and 2010 (spring semesters). Adjunct Professor, Library technologies and project management, a course that provides students with a framework and strategies for evaluating, developing, and implementing information and collaborative technologies and applications in public, academic and special libraries.

  • University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 2010 and 2011. Advisory Board, Department of Library and Information Studies.

  • Martin Luther King Public Library, Washington, D.C., Summer 2001. Internship for the Washingtoniana Division. Located, organized, and developed finding aid resources for 19 distinct oral history collections. Reported to the Faye Haskins, Archivist for the division.

  • Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Spring 2001. Internship for the Newspaper Section of the Serial & Government Publications Division. Key project involved analyzing, compiling, developing, and building Chronological Index for United States Newspapers 1940-1989. Reported to Mark Sweeney, Head of the Newspaper Division.

Professional Affiliations

Publications and Presentations

  • Huffman, Karen (2014), contributing author of the article. "What We Are Doing Now As Embedded Librarians," part of 2014 Best Practices for Government Libraries, compiled and edited by Marie Kaddell, Senior Information Professional Consultant, LexisNexis.

  • Huffman, Karen (February 2014), contributing author of two chapters. Knowledge Management Practice in Organizations: The View from Inside. IGI Global: Hershey, PA.

  • Backer, Dan and Huffman, Karen (November 2013). "Building an Enterprise Service Catalog through the Consumerization of Applications," Co-led presentation during Okta's Oktane13 conference, San Francisco, CA.

  • Huffman, Karen (Summer 2012). "Importance of Communities: Influencing Change by Working Together," part of 2012 Best Practices for Government Libraries: Pushing Boundaries ~ Mobility...Community...Accessibility, compiled and edited by Marie Kaddell, Senior Information Professional Consultant, LexisNexis.

  • Huffman, Karen (April 2012). "20/20 HindSite: Best Practices with Google Sites," a panel discussion given during the 2012 Google Customer Connect Conference that included individuals from National Geographic, Seagate, Berkeley Lab, Jaguar Land Rover, and Fairchild Semiconductor.

  • Huffman, Karen (June 2011). Co-led embedded information services, continuing education course with Mary Talley, and several unconference sessions during SLA's annual conference in Philadelphia.

  • Huffman, Karen (June & July 2010). Knowledge Cafe: "Growing Virtual Communities within Your Organization to Reach the Future FIRST." Face-to-face SLA KM-sponsored cafe during SLA's 2010 Annual Conference and moderated a Twitter conversation for KMers.org.

  • Huffman, Karen (April 2010). "Real-time Collaboration Tools." Presentation on suite of tools offered through Google Apps, virtual discussion platforms, and elearning tools for Computers in Libraries, Arlington, VA. Similar presentation being given for the DC/SLA Chapter.

  • Huffman, Karen (April 2010). "Wikis: Developing Collaborative Communities on a Shoestring Budget." Pre-conference workshop on three wiki platforms -- Confluence, MediaWiki, and Google Sites -- for Computers in Libraries, Arlington, VA.

  • Huffman, Karen (November and December 2009). "SLA Wikis - Learn All About Them." Four-part virtual learning series on wikis sponsored by SLA's Click University, Washington, DC.

  • Huffman, Karen (November 2009). "What's All the Buzz about Mashups." Presentation and discussion for Mitre information professionals, McLean, VA.

  • Huffman, Karen (November 2009). "Envisioning Possibilities (Even When Rat Snakes Fall at Your Doorstep!)." Presentation for a one-day conference for Special Librarians entitled "Innovate : Create : Succeed," Chicago, IL.

  • Hobby, Peter and Huffman, Karen (June 2009). "Knowledge Management without Borders." Presentation for SLA's Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

  • Hart, Nerida and Huffman, Karen (June 2009). "Getting to the Heart of the Story: Evaluating Library Services Using Narrative Techniques." Continuing education class offered during SLA's Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

  • Huffman, Karen (May 2009). "Sharing our Stories about Wikis the Pecha Kucha Way." Organized & led a series of presentations and discussions on wikis hosted by the American Institute of Architects, Washington, DC.

  • Huffman, Karen and Lipscomb, Bianca (April 2009). "Jumping in with both feet: Building a Presence for Catholic University in Second Life." Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education, and Museums (VW LEM) Conference.

  • Huffman, Karen (March/April 2009). "Twitter: Changing our Lives in <= 140 Characters," article for LexisNexis resource entitled Change: Managing It, Surviving It, Thriving on It by Marie Kaddell, editor.

  • Huffman, Karen (March 2009). "Social Networking Made Easy with Ning" (PPT, MPG with pre-recorded voice), Computers in Libraries Annual Conference, Arlington, VA.

  • Huffman, Karen (June 2008). "What's the Buzz about Social Networking?" Presentation for SLA's Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.

  • Huffman, Karen and Kaddell, Marie (June 2008). "Playing in Sandboxes: Developing Information Professionals' Toolbox." Hands-on continuing education class built within a wiki offered during SLA's Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.

  • Huffman, Karen (April 2008). "Web 2.0 in the Workplace and Beyond: Catching the Wave" (Podcast and PPT). LexisNexis Library Week Government Librarian Breakfast Seminar. (See also handout)

  • Huffman, Karen (February 2008). "Web 2.0: Riding the Wave." Lecture for library course at Catholic University.

  • Huffman, Karen and Graef, Jean (January 2008). "Adding value with Web 2.0 at National Geographic." Montague Institute Review, Montague, MA.

  • Huffman, Karen (November 2007). "Mashups & More: Creating A Positive User Experience." Presentation for KM World & Intranets, San Jose, CA.

  • Huffman, Karen (October 2007). Presentation on wikis for the World Resources Institute "Online Communities" course, Washington, DC.

  • Huffman, Karen (October and December, 2007). Web 2.0 lecture for library courses at Catholic University and University of Maryland, respectively.

  • Huffman, Karen (August 2007). "Building Communities 2.0 @ National Geographic." Presentation given as part of Charles County Public Libraries "Learning 2.0" initiative, La Plata, MD.

  • Huffman, Karen (June 2007). "Building Communities" and "Mashups, Remixing Information and Making Data Browseable." Two Presentations given during the Washington Institute of Library Directors "Staying Connected" training session, Fairfax County Public Libraries, Annandale, VA.

  • Huffman, Karen (June 2007). "Wikis - Organizing Content and Collaborating on the Web." Continuing education course for SLA's Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

  • Huffman, Karen (June 2007). "Knowledge Management Tools and Technologies." Presentation for SLA's Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

  • Huffman, Karen (June 2007). "Mashups and Remixes for Government Information." Presentation for SLA's Annual Conference, Denver, CO.

  • Huffman, Karen (May 2007). "Measuring Success of Social Media." Web Managers Roundtable. Arlington, VA. Similar presentation given to a special libraries class at Catholic University's library school (June 2007).

  • Huffman, Karen (April 2007). "Mashups, Mixing, and Making Data Browseable." Presentation for Computers in Libraries conference, Arlington, VA.

  • Huffman, Karen (April 2007). "Building Communities @ National Geographic." Presentation for Computers in Libraries conference, Arlington, VA.

  • Huffman, Karen and Jourdan, Michael (February 2007). "National Geographic: Wikis @ Work." Presentation for NIH/NLM-sponsored Wiki Fair, Bethesda, MD.

  • Huffman, Karen (August 2006). Web 2.0: Beyond the Concept; Practical Ways to Implement RSS, Podcasts, and Wikis. Education Libraries (EL), Education Division of SLA, Volume 29 (No. 1), pp. 12-19.

  • Huffman, Karen and Ferry, Barbara (June 2006). "Hot Topics - Web 2.0: Wikis, Blogs, CoPs, RSS and Podcasts." Presentation for SLA's Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland. Also presented for the Defense Technical Information Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (August); World Bank/IMF, Washington, D.C. (September); Catholic University SLA-sponsored student chapter event (October); and University of Maryland Knowledge Management class (November).

  • Huffman, Karen; Ferry, Barbara; and Williams, Leonard (May 2006). "Podcasting: A Corporate Approach." Presentation for a DC/SLA- and Military Librarians-sponsored event on podcasting.

  • Huffman, Karen (March 2006). "Simple Approaches to RSS." Presentation for an OCLC/CAPCON-sponsored panel discussion during Computers in Libraries Annual Conference, presented National Geographic Libraries implementation of RSS and Podcasts.

  • Huffman, Karen (2001). "Taking Another Step Forward: Digitizing Historical Newspaper Collections." Unpublished workshop presentation for ALCTS Newspaper Discussion Group meeting at ALA's 2001 Midwinter Meeting January 13. Also see, Historical Newspaper Project.

  • Huffman, Karen (March 2001). "What Happens When You Create a Backbone for Your Intranet?" Paper submission for the Joe Ann Clifton Award. Published in b/ITE (August 2001) Bulletin of the Information Technology Division of SLA, Volume 18.

Honors, Awards, and Certificates

  • 2015: See my LinkedIn profile for various certificates and awards from Coursera.org and edX.org

  • 2014: ITIL Foundation Certified

  • 2011: Fellow of SLA.

  • 2007: SLA's LexisNexis Innovations in Technology Award.

  • 2007: Nielsen Norman Top Ten Intranets for National Geographic's corporate intranet.

  • 2003: NGM Masthead, October 2003 to 2009.

  • 2003: SLA's Member of the Year by the Washington, DC Chapter for my efforts to boost DC Chapter membership through active engagement of young professionals.

  • 2002- 2003: Through my leadership, organization, and outreach efforts by the Students/Young Professionals Committee, DC/SLA Chapter won 1st place Certificate of Merit Award for outstanding support of student groups by a chapter/division from SLA's Students and Academic Relations Committee.

  • 2002: 1st place winner of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference Fredric M. Miller Finding Aid Award for an Oral History Finding Aid created during my internship at the Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC.

  • 2001: College of Information Studies Dean's Award for my Historical Newspaper Project as an example of student excellence that furthers understanding by offering new insights into development of newspaper projects.

  • 2001: SLA's Information Technology Division's Joe Ann Clifton Student Award for my paper on the evolution of the NGS intranet, illustrating the use of information technology in a special library.

  • 2001: SLA Student Chapter of University of Maryland won two Certificate of Merit Awards from SLA's Student and Academic Relations Committee for "Creative Use of Electronic Resources" and "Leadership."

Community Involvement and Interests

  • Regular blood donor.

  • 2015 to Present: Project Linus of Charles Co, MD www.projectlinuscharlescomd.com. Initially participated as a blanketeer and attended regular meetings and events. In January 2018 became newsletter editor, web developer, and assistant coordinator for our chapter and in August 2018 took over as coordinator for the chapter.

  • 2008 to 2018: Founder and CMO, Blanketing DC with Love Project dcblankets.cybersailors.org.

  • 2008 to 2014: In2Books ePal mentor, a curriculum-based eMentoring program.

  • 2006: Open water dive certification.

  • 2002: Out of the Darkness Event for Suicide Prevention by Pallotta TeamWorks. Walked 28 miles from Virginia to Washington, DC, in a night. Raised over $1,300 in pledges.

  • 2001: Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer. Walked 60 miles from Frederick, Maryland to Washington, DC, to help the fight against breast cancer. Raised over $3,200 in pledges.

  • 1997-1999: Pets On Wheel www.petsonwheels.org Volunteer, Prince George's County, MD.

  • 1996: Earthwatch www.earthwatch.org volunteer for the "Moose and Wolves of Isle Royale" project. Collected research data for Dr. Rolf Peterson.

  • 1989 to Present: Participate in non-spin PHRF sailboat races, Galesville, MD.

References

Available on request.

Last updated: February 2021