Metropolitan Libraries Section
Conference
Seattle, Washington, USA
May 6-11, 2007
The Changing Face of Metropolitan Libraries:
Inventing the future, but anchored in the past
The MLS conference begins mid-day Sunday May 6 and will conclude Friday afternoon May 11.
Conference papers will be focused on three areas:
- Libraries and Architecture
- Staying Relevant - New Services, Technology, and Customer Orientation
- Serving Special Populations - Immigrants and Refugees, Teens, Children, etc.
In addition to our kick-off address, there will be a keynote speaker for each area and daily presentations with conversation following each, moderated by graduate students from The University of Washington Information School. Presentations will focus on one of the three focus areas with a final day for any remaining papers.
U.W. Information School: http://www.ischool.washington.edu/
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
The conference will be kicked off on Sunday May 6th with a keynote address by The Vice President of Innovation for SirsiDynix, Stephen Abram. Abram will address the conference theme in an engaging, inspiring and thought provoking manner.
Stephen Abram's blog: http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com
Monday's keynote for Architecture and Libraries is the Central Library Architect Partner in Charge, Joshua Prince-Ramus.
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Blog featuring Joshua Prince-Ramus: http://tedblog.typepad.com/tedblog/2006/07/joshua_princera.html
On Tuesday, Associate Professor at The University of Washington Information School, Joseph Janes will speak on "Managing Change".
For more on Mr. Janes: http://www.ischool.washington.edu/people/facdirectory.aspx?id=3122&mode=pics
The OCLC Vice President, Member and Community Services George Needham, will be presenting one of two keynote addresses Wednesday on the topic of The OCLC Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources Report.
Mr. Needham's Blog: http://www2.blogger.com/profile/05772164058302507949
OCLC Perceptions Report: http://www.oclc.org/reports/2005perceptions.htm
The second keynote address on Wednesday will be given by Moshe Safdie, architect of the new Salt Lake City Public Library, the Vancouver, British Columbia Public Library and the designed Free Library of Philadelphia Public Library.
Moshe Safdie and Associates web site: http://www.msafdie.com/
On Friday University of Washington Information School, Dean Emeritus and Professor Mike Eisenberg takes a look at What's Out There and what it might mean in terms of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to, for, and by Libraries.
For more information on Mike Eisenberg: http://projects.ischool.washington.edu/mbe/
The final day of the conference will include a facilitated discussion of lessons learned from the conference and how to bring what was learned into practice in our libraries. The University of Washington students will also participate in this session.
ADDITONAL CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES include tours of Seattle Central library as well as tours of recently opened Seattle branch libraries.
There will also be visits to the neighboring King County Library System and a Web Junction, as well as a tour of the newly opened Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park and passes to visit the Seattle Art Museum which opens the week of the MLS conference
The week after the conference is the 2007 Seattle Reads with author and Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri discussing her book "THE NAMESAKE".
Conference attendees will receive a copy of her book prior to arriving in Seattle and will be able to participate in a book discussion with one of Seattle Public Library's fiction librarians who will be facilitating conversations throughout the city.
Visit http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=about_leaders_washingtoncenter_seattlereads for program details as well as information on the 2006 program by Marjane Satrapi on PERSEPOLIS. The one city/one book program was initiated by The Seattle Public Library in 1998 and has now spread all over the world.
Conference Venue
All business meetings and presentation will be held in the Seattle Central Library
