Las Vegas-Clark County
Library District

Executive Director

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About 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.

Las Vegas-Clark County Executive Director holds Las Vegas Book Festival Crystal Bookmark Award

  • Broward County Government Proclamation 2021

    RUSA Margaret E. Monroe Library Adult Services Award 2021

    Legacy South FL Magazine So Florida’s "50 Most Influential and Powerful Black Professionals 2020

    Friends of AARLCC Community Service & Distinguished Achievement Honoree 2019

    FLA Librarian of the Year 2019

    DEMCO/BCALA Award for Excellence in Librarianship 2017

    ALA Ernest A. DiMattia Jr Award for Innovation, Service to Community & Profession 2016

    BCALA Distinguished Service Award 2015

    BCALA Appreciation Award 2010

    Borders Core Values Excellence in Performance Award 2005

    Profiled in Black Issues Book Review Jan/Feb 2006 Issue one of the “Influential African Americans in the Book Industry”

    Parkway Alumni Association Hall of Fame 2006

BCALA Presidents pose with Kelvin Watson

  • DPLA Board of Director Member 2021-Present

    OCLC Americas Regional Council 2021-2024

    Southeast FL Library Network Board of Director 2017-2021 (Vice President 2020-2021)

    Book Industry Study Group Board of Director Member 2018-Present (Secretary 2020-Present)

    BCALA President 2014-2016

    New York State Regents Advisory Council on Libraries 2015-2017

    Metropolitan New York Library Council Board of Trustee Member 2015-2017

    BCALA Executive Board Member 2006-2012 (Fundraising Chair 2008-2010, Budget & Finance Chair 2010-2012)

    NCAAL Fundraising Chair 2007-2010, 2013, 2015-2021

    Florida Library Association Co-Chair Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Task Force 2020-2021

    Open Content Advisory Board 2021-Present.

    Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association

    Chinese American Librarians Association

    Black Caucus of ALA (BCALA)

    REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-speaking

    American Indian Library Association

    Beta Phi Mu Honor Society

  • North Carolina Central University, MLS, 2007

    Lincoln University (MO) BS Business Administration, 1994

    MIT SLOAN School of Management Executive Program Certificate, Internet of Things: Business Implications and Opportunities, 2019

    MIT SLOAN School of Management Executive Program Certificate, Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy, 2019

    MIT SLOAN School of Management Executive Program Certificate, Cybersecurity, 2020.

  • Public Library Association Director-at-Large 2018-2021

    ALA Business Advisory Group 2021-Present

    ALA Standards for Library Services for Incarcerated and Detained Individuals Working Group2021-Present

    ALA Digital Content Working Group Co-Chair 2019-2021

    ALA Committee on Accreditation 2016-2017

    ALA Spectrum Scholar 2006

    ALA Reference and User Services Association Spectrum Intern 2007-2008

    AASL Member/Spectrum Scholar 2007

    ALA Presidential Task Force 2009-2010, Coretta Scott King Book Award Juror 2012-2013

    Association of Research Libraries Initiative to Recruit Diverse Workforce Participant 2005-2007

    Asian/Pacific Librarians Association Member (Research and Travel Awards Committee 2007-2009)

RECENT WORK

I would like to share with you this excerpt from a foreword I wrote for an upcoming book, “Reimagining the Library of the Future” (ORO-Editions, San Francisco, 2022) by Dr. Steffen Lehmann, Professor Chair of Architecture at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which is set to publish in May 2022.

As we look toward the future of our buildings and our collections, we can borrow inspiration from the visionaries who helped to create our grand American library system. While there have been many contributors to this legacy, certainly Andrew Carnegie was the principal architect, both literally and figuratively. As a boy, he arrived penniless from Scotland, but worked in a Pennsylvania factory, and dreamed of a better life. He fought for and won free access to the local public library and ever after, it was open to the working people of the city. He became one of the wealthiest men in the U.S., but never forgot how the library contributed to his education. His vision was to provide this same access to all U.S. residents and in the early 1900s, he donated $60 million of his fortune to build 1,689 libraries across the nation. Many of those buildings are still the most admired and patronized in their communities. For example, the Carnegie Library in Washington D.C. is a beautiful Beaux Arts building, which cost $300,000 and opened in 1903 to women, children, and people of all races. In fact, Black residents still remember that it was the only public restroom available to them downtown.

Carnegie made libraries community anchors for all Americans, rather than luxuries for the wealthy. Another of his buildings became a home for me in St. Louis, Missouri. Aside from my church, as a young boy, the Central Library was the grandest, most sacred space that I had ever seen. I felt like a king every time walking those hallowed halls. Nearly all of Andrew Carnegie’s libraries were built using the “Carnegie formula,” which continues to be a model of public/private partnerships. We must continue to design awe-inspiring spaces in this model, which honor and welcome people from all walks of life and make room for activities, conversation, discovery, maker spaces, and hands-on learning for all ages. 

  • I am also inspired by Augusta Braxton Baker, a remarkable woman who began her career in 1937 at what is now known as the New York Public Library’s Countee Cullen Branch in Harlem. She led the way in DEIA even then, creating one of the first collections that ignored the racist stereotypes of the time, and portrayed the real life experiences of Black children. Her collection demonstrated to publishers the need to expand their titles for children of color. Ms. Baker was also an author, a consultant on Sesame Street, and the first Black woman to serve as NYPL’s coordinator of children’s services. Her advocacy that children need to see positive representations of themselves in literature and culture helped to jumpstart this movement, which is more important than ever for children of all racial, ethnic, and gender identities.

     As Ms. Baker knew well, inclusion and diversity are concepts that must be paired with education. Even in the 21st century, not everyone has embraced an enlightened way of thinking and sadly, we are witnessing a surge of intolerance and racism that for a long time was latent. To counter this negativity, our role is to be educators. We are guided by public policies that underscore our values of DEIA, and we must seek out programming for our library spaces that create enlightenment and empathy.

What People Are Saying

Veronda J. Pitchford
Assistant Director, Califa Group

“Many leaders are big thinkers. Kelvin’s magic is that he is DOER above all. He is committed to action to move progress forward for libraries and the communities we serve.”

Hannah Handler Hostyk
Co-President Stirling Library Friends, Broward County Library

“I have always been impressed by Kelvin’s dedication, professionalism, and leadership but I especially appreciate that he puts in the time to understand the different communities served by the public library. He’s the first director to truly understand how key a library is to a specific community in our county and has gone out of his way to include the Jewish community as a community with specific needs, at least in Hollywood, Florida. I am so appreciative for his sensitivity and vision in addressing our concerns.”

Michelle Jeske
City Librarian and Executive Director, Denver Public Library

“I worked closely with Kelvin on the PLA Board of Directors and valued his thought partnership, leadership, and willingness to step up and take on important, strategic work!

Career Highlights:

Served as a Commissioned Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves. Over the past 20 years, led many library and related organizations, including Ingram Library Services, Borders Group, The Library Corporation (TLC), National Agricultural Library, Queens Library, Broward County Libraries, and Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. In 2020, led Broward County Libraries to become the Florida Library Association (FLA) Library of the Year and Library of the Future. In 2019, was named Librarian of the Year by FLA. Launched impactful programs including the Veteran’s Connect Hotspot Program; Project Welcome, which welcomed newcomers and new learners of English; and partnered with the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada to bring digital library access on board 400 city buses.

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Sankofa Akan symbol

The concept of Sankofa is derived from King Adinkera of the Akan people of West Africa. Represented by a stylized heart symbol, it means “Go back and reclaim the past so you can move forward.” We should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward.