Our Side of the Fence: Rob Cullin

ROB CULLIN, E•vanced Solutions, Inc.

By Staff -- Library Journal, 3/15/2007

When Rob Cullin cofounded E•vanced Solutions, Inc. in 2002, he and his partner “just kind of fell into” the library market. They started with two products, E•vents and Room Rese•rve, then designed Summer Re•ader after they heard that libraries needed a product to help them manage summer reading programs.

“I'm always looking for what else we could do to help librarians do their jobs better and easier,” says Cullin. “Though I've had various roles and job titles, solving problems with technology is the one role I've always filled. It has always been my favorite part of the job.”

To remediate the divide created when techies tend to use jargon to intimidate or to control their own turf, Cullin breaks down barriers through education. His publications, presentations, and involvement with WebJunction.org, as well as his work with E•vanced, all aim to bridge the library/IT divide. “He not only has a gift for listening and understanding library issues,” explains Nappanee Public Library director Linda Yoder, “he translates that information into solutions without losing us all in techno-speak.”

Vendors are often seen “as sitting on the opposite side of the fence,” sums up librarian and consultant Kimberly Bolan. “But Rob is respected by librarians across the country—as a businessman but also a library contributor.”