Karly O'Brien (she/her) is a certified reading specialist, former educator, and Literacy Services Manager at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). She serves as an organization-wide literacy resource, applying evidence-based research on language and literacy development to support RIF's mission of creating skilled readers.

At RIF, Karly designs and facilitates professional learning experiences for educators, families, librarians, and literacy leaders nationwide, helping translate literacy research into practical, engaging instructional strategies. She develops webinars, professional development workshops, instructional resources, and family-facing literacy content that support reading development from early childhood through middle school. Her work focuses on the Science of Reading, family engagement, reading motivation, interactive read-alouds, writing instruction, and building joyful, research-informed literacy experiences. Karly regularly presents at state and national conferences, sharing evidence-based literacy practices with educators across the country.

Karly also leads the development and management of RIF's digital reading platform, Skybrary, overseeing the educational content and learning materials that support the platform. She manages RIF's eBook collection, develops accompanying literacy resources, and ensures the platform provides engaging, high-quality reading experiences for children, educators, and families.

Before joining RIF, Karly taught elementary and middle school English language arts and served as a literacy specialist in Washington, D.C. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted educational research examining the effectiveness of research-based instructional practices in classroom settings. Her work was later published in the Journal of Teaching of Psychology.

Karly holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from James Madison University and a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction, with a concentration in literacy, from The George Washington University.