Open to AI & EdTech Opportunities

Library Leader.
Instructional Designer.
AI Practitioner.

I lead library teams, design learning experiences that drive real outcomes, and put AI to work in public service — at the intersection of education, technology, and community.

Portrait of Luis E. Pérez de la Torre
9+
Years in Library Leadership
3°
Degrees, including an EdD
2
AI Projects Deployed
2
Languages (EN / ES)
About

Learning strategy, connected to impact

I'm a library leader and instructional design professional with a Doctorate in Instructional Technology & Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University. My career spans academic libraries, public libraries, higher education, and workforce training — which means I design for genuinely different audiences and contexts, not one narrow profile.

I work across the full instructional design lifecycle: needs assessment, curriculum development, e-learning design, facilitation, and data-driven program evaluation. I'm bilingual in English and Spanish, and I bring project management discipline backed by the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

What I care about most is applying adult learning theory, AI-enhanced tools, and evidence-based practice to build instruction that actually sticks — and technology that a real community will use.

ADDIE & SAM Needs Assessment E-Learning Development LMS Administration Adult Learning Theory Project Management Evaluation & Analytics AI in Education Workshop Facilitation Bilingual EN/ES
Branch Management
Leading full operations at the Larry R. Jackson Branch, City of Lakeland — staff, programming, patron services, and community partnerships.
AI Integration
Built and deployed a Claude API-powered chatbot for Lakeland Public Library — an early production AI assistant in a Florida public library.
Instructional Design
EdD in Instructional Technology & Distance Education, applied to real training, curriculum, and evaluation work — not just theory.
Project Management
Google Project Management Professional Certificate. Planning, stakeholder communication, and delivery across complex initiatives.
Selected Work

Projects & Case Studies

Analysis, design, development, and evaluation — shown end to end. Select any project to open the full case study.

Delivered in role
AI ChatbotClaude API

The challenge

The library needed to deploy an AI-powered chatbot to handle patron inquiries and reduce staff workload during peak hours. Staff had limited familiarity with AI tools, and patrons needed a seamless, intuitive experience.

My role

I led the full instructional design lifecycle from needs assessment through launch: stakeholder interviews, content strategy, training material development, pilot testing, and user education rollout.

Process & decisions

  • Conducted a needs assessment with staff and administrators to identify knowledge gaps and resistance points.
  • Developed a phased content strategy aligning chatbot responses with the most common patron queries.
  • Created staff training materials — quick-reference guides, scenario walkthroughs, and FAQ documents.
  • Designed patron-facing tutorials for chatbot interaction.
  • Built a change management communication plan to support adoption.

Results & impact

Successful deployment with high staff adoption. Reduced routine inquiry handling time and improved patron self-service. The training materials were adopted as a template for later technology rollouts.

Space DesignCommunity Hub

The challenge

The library's commons spaces were built for an earlier model of library use — quiet, individual, print-centered. Patron behavior had moved toward collaboration, technology access, and flexible programming, and the physical space was working against it.

My role

I developed the concept, the two-page executive brief, and the full modernization proposal — grounding the design decisions in library science and instructional design principles rather than aesthetics alone.

Process & decisions

  • Mapped current space use against observed patron behavior and programming demand.
  • Defined zones for collaboration, quiet work, and technology-supported instruction.
  • Specified the technology infrastructure needed to make flexible programming actually schedulable.
  • Packaged the concept for stakeholder and leadership review at two levels of detail.

Results & impact

Produced a decision-ready proposal that reframes the commons as community infrastructure, with a clear rationale leadership can evaluate against budget and strategic priorities.

Curriculum Design

The challenge

Library staff across multiple roles needed ongoing training on emerging technologies, digital literacy tools, operational procedures, and customer service standards — to serve an increasingly tech-diverse patron base.

My role

As lead instructional designer I developed the full training curriculum, facilitated the workshops, created evaluation rubrics, and measured program effectiveness with data-informed methods.

Process & decisions

  • Performed a gap analysis to identify priority skill areas across departments.
  • Designed a modular curriculum covering digital tools, customer service, and operational procedure.
  • Built evaluation rubrics so effectiveness could be measured rather than assumed.
  • Iterated the modules based on facilitation feedback and observed performance.

Results & impact

A repeatable, modular program that scaled across departments and gave supervisors a consistent standard to develop staff against.

Onboarding

The challenge

New hires were onboarded inconsistently — largely through shadowing — so time-to-competency varied widely by who happened to be training them.

My role

I designed the orientation curriculum and the supporting checklists, and defined what "ready" meant at each stage so managers could assess it.

Process & decisions

  • Ran a gap analysis on what new hires actually struggled with in their first 90 days.
  • Sequenced the curriculum so foundational systems access came before role-specific practice.
  • Built a training checklist that made progress visible to both the hire and the supervisor.

Results & impact

A consistent onboarding path across departments, with a shared definition of competency that no longer depends on which colleague was available.

AI Product Management

The premise

Rather than treating a career move into AI as a job search, I designed it as an instructional program with phases, artifacts, and evaluation points — applying the same discipline I use for learner-facing work.

Structure

  • Phase 1 — Foundations: certification progression and hands-on practice with production AI tooling.
  • Phase 2 — Artifacts: shipped projects that demonstrate capability, not just completion.
  • Phase 3 — Positioning: portfolio, public work, and targeted role alignment.

Why it belongs here

It's a working example of how I sequence learning toward measurable outcomes — with myself as the learner.

Concept & demonstration work
Branching Scenario

What it demonstrates

Branching scenario architecture — how choice consequences are modelled, how feedback is timed, and how assessment is embedded in the narrative rather than bolted on at the end.

Note

This is a portfolio demonstration piece, not a client deliverable.

Microlearning

What it demonstrates

Chunking dry mandatory content into mobile-sized modules without losing compliance coverage — plus storyboarding and knowledge-check design for retention.

Note

This is a portfolio demonstration piece, not a client deliverable.

Needs Analysis

What it demonstrates

The analysis and evaluation ends of the lifecycle — the parts most often skipped. Stakeholder interview design, gap analysis method, and an evaluation plan mapped across all four Kirkpatrick levels.

Note

This is a portfolio demonstration piece, not a client deliverable.

How I Work

My Design Process

A structured, evidence-based approach on every project — so decisions are traceable and outcomes are measurable.

1
Analyze
Identify learner needs, performance gaps, and organizational goals through interviews and data.
2
Design
Define learning objectives, select strategies, and create storyboards aligned to outcomes.
3
Develop
Build content using e-learning tools, multimedia, and interactive elements.
4
Implement
Deploy training, facilitate sessions, and support learners through the experience.
5
Evaluate
Measure impact with data, gather feedback, and iterate for continuous improvement.
Career

Experience & Background

March 2026 – Present
Branch Manager
Larry R. Jackson Branch · Lakeland Public Library, City of Lakeland, FL
Leading full branch operations — staff scheduling, performance management, hiring, patron services, digital signage, meeting room operations, and community programming. Driving technology adoption and patron engagement initiatives.
2016 – March 2026 · 9+ years
Library Supervisor — Technology & Innovation
Lakeland Public Library, City of Lakeland, FL
Led technology strategy and innovation for the library system. Deployed a Claude API chatbot, developed the Commons Modernization proposal, built and facilitated staff training programs, and completed Google Project Management certification.
Prior role
Library Director
Dewey University
Directed academic library operations, collections management, and information services in a higher education setting.
Prior role
Librarian Manager & Career Preparation Instructor
Southern Technical College
Managed library services and taught career preparation courses — an early blend of library leadership and instructional practice.
Capabilities

Skills & Tools

AI & Technology
Claude API Prompt Engineering AI Integration NotebookLM LMS Administration
Learning Design
ADDIE & SAM Needs Assessment E-Learning Development Adult Learning Theory Kirkpatrick Evaluation Distance Education
Leadership & Operations
Library Management Project Management Staff Development Workshop Facilitation Bilingual EN / ES
Academic Background

Education & Credentials

EdD · Instructional Technology & Distance Education
Nova Southeastern University
2021
MS · Library Services & Information Technology
Universidad del Turabo
Graduate degree
BBA · Management
University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón
Undergraduate degree
Professional Certificates
Google · IBM · Meta
Google Project Management · Google AI Essentials · IBM AI Developer · Meta Social Media Marketing. In progress: IBM AI Product Manager.

Let's connect.

Open to conversations about AI product roles, instructional design, library technology, and EdTech leadership.

Lakeland, Florida
English · Spanish
EdD · AI Practitioner