About Us

Libraries Online, Inc. (LION) is Connecticut’s comprehensive library consortium, where members determine the resources and services to best serve their communities. Informed by collaboration and collegiality, guided by transparency and consensus, and shaped by innovation and service, LION began as an organization to share the expense of an integrated library system. It now encompasses a wide variety of information technology support, centralized digital collections, a widely imitated discovery layer, and a robust, consortium-wide delivery system. With its members in charge, LION offers libraries what they need at a cost they can afford. To learn more, contact us at info@lioninc.org.

About Us

Libraries Online, Inc. (LION) is Connecticut’s comprehensive library consortium, where members determine the resources and services to best serve their communities. Informed by collaboration and collegiality, guided by transparency and consensus, and shaped by innovation and service, LION began as an organization to share the expense of an integrated library system. It now encompasses a wide variety of information technology support, centralized digital collections, a widely imitated discovery layer, and a robust, consortium-wide delivery system. With its members in charge, LION offers libraries what they need at a cost they can afford. To learn more, contact us at info@lioninc.org.

Our Team

Matt Beardsley

PC Network Manager

Matt joined the LION team in 2004 as a Network Support Technician. In 2005 he was promoted to PC Network Manager. He came to LION after 8 years as the Network Administrator at Echlin, a company in Branford with over 1,000 employees. Matt resides on the shoreline in Stony Creek, where he enjoys boating and fishing in the Thimble Islands.

Karan Morin Conover

Bibliographic Database Manager
Karan graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1982. After receiving her MLIS from the University of Rhode Island in 1986, she began her library career as a cataloger at the Rockville Public Library in Vernon, CT. She has overseen LION’s bibliographic database since 1989. 

Joe Farara

Executive Director

Joe became LION’s Executive Director in August 2017. He joined the organization after spending 27 years as the Faculty Librarian at Johnson State College, where he oversaw new library construction, campus networking, systems migrations, and distance learning technology. He also served as the Director of Vermont State Colleges Library Planning from 2002 until 2017. During his tenure in Vermont, he worked closely with the State Library in the development of digital collections, and fostered collaboration between the college and the public libraries in Lamoille County. A former President of the Vermont Library Association, Joe was a founder and multi-term President of the Vermont Consortium of Academic Libraries. He’s currently a member of the Advisory Council for Library Planning and Development’s Resource Sharing Committee and Southern Connecticut State University’s Information and Library Science Advisory Board.    

Andy Gardner

Associate Director
Andy Gardner has been LION’s Associate Director since August of 2005.  After undergraduate and graduate work in the state of Washington, he made his way East and has been a technical services librarian at the New York Academy of Medicine Library, Housatonic Community College, Temple University, and the US Coast Guard Academy Library. Areas of specialization include database management, data migration, report writing, and cataloging.

Patty Hovick

Office Manager
Patty joined LION in 2003. As the consortium’s Office Manager, she utilizes her exceptional organizational and financial skills to guarantee the organization runs smoothly and efficiently.  Along with a BS in Business Administration, Patty has an extensive background in finance from corporate accounting at a magazine publishing house to managing accounting for a local printing firm, as well as accounting for a small technology headhunter.  When not in the office, you can find her on the shoreline spending time outdoors with her husband or sharing time with her two adorable grandsons.

Justin Strickland

Workstation Technician

Justin, while often referred to as a wizard, usually relies on his knack for technological know-how rather than magic when troubleshooting library staff’s computer troubles. Taking the role of workstation technician at LION in July 2012, he brought with him the attitude that the user should feel empowered when an issue is resolved or new hardware is deployed. Prior to his time with LION, Justin spent five years doing graphic design and pre-press at a local print shop, fixing computers in his spare time. These days his designs are focused on making the computing experience both beautiful and intuitive for library staff and patrons alike. A long-time tinkerer, Justin keeps his eyes on the horizon. He has always been excited to kick the tires on software betas and try out the latest computer technologies and is always thrilled to discuss things on the horizon and their impact on computing in the library world.   

Rick Widlansky

Systems Manager

Rick started at LION in August 1987. He has gone from backing up the then Dynix server, which required 16 reel to reel tapes, to being LION’s Systems Manager, where he’s in charge of library networks, which includes firewalls, routers, wi-fi, e-mail, filtering, domain management, voice over internet protocol, security cameras, and just about anything other technology that’s central to today’s libraries. Rick serves on the State of Connecticut’s Commission for Educational Technology Infrastructure Advisory Council. When not working, Rick enjoys UConn basketball, tropical vacations, and playing horseshoes and setback.