Hope Kandel is Director of LearningTimes Library and Information Services and produces LearningTimes' library-focused online programs, conferences and events. Hope is also the Conference Chair for the LearningTimes Library Online Conference and a member of the LearningTimes.org Editorial Board.

Before joining LearningTimes, Hope Kandel was the Executive Producer of live online library programs for LearningWeek, a weekly interactive webcast examining the people, technology and business of education. Library editions covered virtual reference desks, censorship and first amendment issues, as well as a range of professional development topics targeted at an audience of over 1000 information professionals.

Hope also worked as an eLearning specialist for HorizonLive, a provider of web-based elearning software for online instruction and collaboration. While at HorizonLive, Hope managed the company's technical support team; acted as Executive Producer of web casts and daily online classes; and managed sales & marketing efforts for the organization's virtual reference product offering.

Prior to moving back to New York, Hope managed all of the Electronic Marketing and Communications functions for the data integration software company, Evolutionary Technologies International (ETI). Hope's interest in effective teaching and learning online began while she was in graduate school. Among her responsibilities in running UT Austin's School of Information Multimedia lab, Hope designed media-rich web-based tutorials and taught various short courses.

Hope holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University and a Masters in Library and Information Science from The University of Texas at Austin.