COLLEGE OF DUPAGE TELECONFERENCE ON LIBRARY HOT TOPICS

Please excuse cross-posting of this message.
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The Nova Scotia Provincial Library will host a satellite teleconference from the College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, on "Library Hot Topics: Discussions and Interviews" on April 29th.  This is the last teleconference for the year in the Library Challenges & Opportunities series hosted by Richard Dougherty.  The panelists will be Leslie Burger, Director, Princeton Public Library, New Jersey and candidate for ALA president; Mitch Freedman, Director, Westchester Library System, Ardsley, New York and 2002-2003 ALA President; Michael Gorman, Dean of Library Services, California State University at Fresno and current ALA President; and Christine Lind Hage, Director, Clinton-Macomb Public Library, Michigan and candidate for ALA president.

What are the current "hot topics?" What are the new technologies? We'll find out in this teleconference that will be similar to a television news magazine. This is ideal for librarians who have been unable to attend conferences and workshops.  Here are a few of the "hot topics" the panelists will discuss:

1) The recent announcement that Google intends to digitize several million volumes has gotten an enormous amount of press. Opinions abound. Some believe that the project could alter the paradigm of librarianship. Others don't believe the project is particularly significant. Some feel that the project is likely to fail as others in the past have failed. Obstacles such as copyright have been cited countless times. What would be the impact on libraries if the digitization project succeeds? What are the threats? The opportunities?

2) The "L" word has been dropped out of the names of many former library schools. The pros and cons of this movement continue to be debated. One "hot topic" is whether graduates from the "I" schools are adequately prepared to work in libraries. One experienced librarian wrote the following in Lj: "At my institution we have begun talking about the problem of the new graduates who have not been trained appropriately because we find we must take on more of the training! It feels as though the burden is being shifted to practitioners to provide much more library education than in the past." What do our panelists believe? What actions will they recommend?

3) The budget crisis in Salinas, CA that precipitated the announcement that the community's libraries would be closed has received a great deal of attention.  The elected officials seem to have taken a step back from their initial dire announcements. It is very possible that the involvement of librarians made an impact. What lessons have been learned? What advice can the panelists offer to others who are faced with budget crises?

Following the broadcast portion of the program Sandra Toze, a Lecturer at the School of Library & Information Studies, Dalhousie University, will speak on the topic of what "adding value" to information means for librarians in today's diverse information landscape.  She will also lead a discussion on "hot topics" suggested by the audience.  Before coming to Dalhousie Sandra worked as a special librarian in the financial sector in Toronto.

Teleconference Details:
Date: Friday, April 29th, 2005, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Place: Nova Scotia Provincial Library (Classroom), 3770 Kempt Road, Halifax
Registration is free.
Parking is available in front of the building.

To register contact Carol Morris at 424-2477 or by e-mail at [log in to unmask]
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