Nearly two decades of leading classrooms, research, and libraries across two continents, presenting keynotes and training that show people what's possible when we stop reinforcing the status quo and push for the extraordinary.
Drawing on nearly two decades of teaching, academic research, policy work, and library design in the UK and US, I deliver keynotes and workshops that transform how communities see their institutions. Most professional development treats audiences like administrative staff who need compliance checklists, resulting in fatigue and institutional drift. When we speak to educators, librarians, museum teams, and administrative leaders, we must offer rigorous evidence, uncompromising design, and a clear vision for what comes next that does not chastise but excites!
My professional development workshops and training sessions are built around empirical research, practical advocacy, and immediate institutional impact.
Too often, school and library staff are told to do more with less without being given the strategic tools or evidence base to make their case to leadership. These keynotes and interactive workshops change that balance. They equip librarians, administrative teams, media specialists, and classroom teachers to re-evaluate their physical collections, transform underutilized room corners into active learning hubs, navigate complex budget requests with confidence, and articulate the true value of authentic, self-directed literacy to parents and school boards. These are highly creative and inspiring sessions that not only help attendees leave with real practical tools but help transform education and the approach to it in schools, dioceses and ISDs.
“Without a doubt the best speaker we've had.”— Training Attendee
True scholarship isn't meant to stay bound on a shelf; it is a tool for waking people up to the complexity, strange logic, and human risk of history.
Academia often struggles to communicate its most vital insights outside narrow peer-review circles. Bringing scholarly authority and investigative methodology to university showcases, faculty symposia, and student research centers across the UK and US, my lectures have bridged formal historical analysis with non-traditional primary sources — demonstrating how to construct original, evidence-backed arguments using everything from 18th-century press reports and forensic records to video games and popular material culture. Whether speaking to undergraduate history cohorts or secondary research scholars, these sessions show how rigorous inquiry unlocks genuine wonder.
“It made the hunt for primary source evidence exciting. That's not easy!”— Lecture attendee
With a PhD in Religious Studies, History and American Politics from the University of Aberdeen, seven academic honors, AHRC funding at every academic level and nearly two decades of teaching and library leadership across the UK and US, I bring scholarly depth and a love of the stage to every event.
Every institutional engagement is custom-designed around the host organization's specific goals. Rather than delivering off-the-shelf slide decks, sessions are built with clear structural handouts, empirical research digests, and practical toolkits that attendees can put to work the very next morning. Whether it is a regional keynote, a full-day in-service or a board briefing, the goal is the same: replacing passive attendance with immediate clarity, professional renewal, and institutional momentum.
“Best professional development meeting I've been to since becoming a library manager.”— PD Attendee
Tailored for leaders and teams ready to elevate their practice across diverse institutions.
Dioceses and school conferences — mainstage keynotes and professional development days that inspire faculties, align administrative goals, and raise educational standards.
Library associations and media networks — research-backed sessions on collection development, visual literacy advocacy, and high-throughput operations.
Museums and cultural foundations — talks on spatial storytelling, multi-sensory exhibition design, and converting passive visitors into active stewards.
University symposia and research centers — academic lectures on American mythologizing, public history, and innovative research methodologies.
The libraries and institutions of tomorrow are built by the leaders in the room today.
Available for in-service days, keynotes, conference sessions, and staff training in person across Texas and the UK, and online anywhere.
hello@veritykahn.com