The Library Corporation today announced that John Burns has been appointed to the position of Chief Operating Officer, based out of global headquarters in Inwood, W.Va. Formerly TLC's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, John will continue to report to Annette Murphy, President, and CEO of The Library Corporation.
John has been with TLC since 2000 when he was hired as a sales support associate. Since then, John has risen to the role of COO through a deliberate and dedicated customer-centric approach to client relationships. Burns will continue to influence sales and marketing strategies while leading the day to day operations of both HQ and Denver offices.
John has been integral to TLC's positioning and success of CARL.X, Library.Solution, and Library.Solution for Schools over the course of his career playing a pivotal role in earning the business of many of TLC's clients, leveraging not only sales acumen but also a deep understanding of libraries and how their workflows relate to TLC's technologies. "TLC values our customers as product partners and I am humbled to have helped play a role in development decisions leading TLC to provide libraries cutting edge technology," said Burns. "I am really looking forward to a deeper relationship with our product and client services teams and continuing to fulfill TLC's long history of bringing innovative technologies to market combined with our customer-first approach with our clients".
CARL.X's resurgence in the marketplace is a result of Burns' focus on positioning the product and understanding the relevance and potential of the business model CARL.X adheres to as it relates to the industry. Burns, a longtime advocate of the potential of TLC/CARL, began actively selling CARL.X in 2014, initiating and sustaining its current momentum in the marketplace.
As the landscape and shape of the library technology market have evolved since John began with TLC, he is excited to assume his new role at such a pivotal time. "The extremely consolidated marketplace via private equity has changed everything. Libraries may be left questioning what the future holds in the ILS/LMS industry" stated Burns. He continued, "Navigating these waters with a unique company such as ours with a reputation of stability and innovation backed up by world-class support is a challenge I look forward to". "I am an advocate of TLC and have staked my career here because of the ownerships long-tailed view of business strategy, and dedication to meeting and exceeding our customer's expectations that just doesn't exist at companies that measure fiscal performance on a quarter to quarter or short term basis". "TLC not only fosters advocates within our customer base but also within our employees, and that is a rewarding company to lead".
"I am very fortunate that I have someone within the TLC staff that is capable of fulfilling this task and I am so pleased that I could fill this position from within the TLC family", Annette Murphy, TLC's founder, and CEO said. "John has a long history of managing sales and relationships with customers and planning for the future."
About The Library Corporation:
TLC has operated continuously under the same ownership since 1974 and employs over 200 people dedicated to delivering enterprise software and hardware solutions to public, school, academic, and special libraries worldwide. TLC's cumulative products are deployed in more than 1,100 organizations, representing over 5,500 locations in North America. TLC is certified by the U.S. General Services Administration, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, and the Women Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program. TLC's Headquarters is based in Inwood, W.Va., and has additional offices in Denver, Minnesota, and Singapore.