World Library and Information Congress:
75th IFLA General Conference and Assembly
"Libraries create futures: Building on
cultural heritage"
23-27 August 2009, Milan, Italy
Call for Papers for Satellite Meeting
Information Technology Section and
Libraries and Web 2.0 Discussion Group
Florence, Italy
19-20 August 2009
Theme: "Emerging trends in technology: libraries between Web
2.0, semantic web and search technology"
The IFLA Information Ttechnology
Section in collaboration with Fondazione Rinascimento
Digitale, supported by the IFLA
Libraries and Web 2.0 Discussion Group, are organizing a
pre-conference and satellite meeting.
Theme and Objectives
Technological advances in the past several years have enabled
libraries to create new services that were not possible before, such as
personalized OPAC interfaces, semantic searches through different kind
of multimedia resources, different kind of visualizations, downloading
media that could be used for research purposes etc. So we have an
increasing range of services which fit very closely to the specific
needs of users.
In parallel the development of Web 2.0 technologies has had an
important impact on library services - dubbed the "library 2.0" model.
This new library 2.0 requires a user-centred shift and encourages
constant and purposeful change in which the users take an active part
in the creation of the physical and the virtual services they want.
Social networks, virtual access, tagging, blogging and wikis are just
part of this new dimension and are open to librarians as well as to old
and new users’ participation. The limits between the creation and
the usage have disappeared and the library becomes a meeting point
where people share their interest and problems with each other with a
high potential for interoperability & exchange and the transition
from classic isolated fields in the information infrastructure to
dedicated communities and their specific workspaces. Some of these
ideas are much older and have their origin in the basic ideas of the
semantic web. In a sense we have seen a revival of these ideas: earlier
statements like “too much complex” change to approaches
which try to characterise data in the specific syntax of the semantic
web are superseded by the opening of data for web applications. In this
sense the new web technologies influence the potential access to
information, too.
In this two-day conference we would like to address the synergies
and potential use of all these three different aspects - the new web
technologies, the semantic web and the existence new search technology
- which have a very deep impact on the services in the library-scene.
The first day will be dedicated to the introduction into the new
services and different aspects which are related to the new
technologies in libraries - best done by offering good examples for
implementation and service. We would like to answer the following
questions: What is Library 2.0 and what are implications of Web 2.0
technologies for the libraries? How could we integrate users in the
library services and offer them better access to the needed
information? What is the semantic web? What are the characteristics of
new search technologies? How can we bring together the approaches of
the Web 2.0 with the ideas of the semantic web? What are the upcoming
standards for libraries?
The second day will be dedicated to upcoming trends and new
developments in the area of library services by using the new
technologies. Do we expect the next generation library-system in the
field of implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in libraries, do we
expect different kind of semantic visualizations and use of semantic
web solutions? What can we say today about the net of knowledge and the
role of libraries? How can libraries help to create a critical mass for
a break-through of these technologies?
Topics for papers
- Theoretical, practical and technological
introductions into the new technologies and their use in
libraries;
- Change functionality and technology patterns
related to new services in libraries and information services;
- Experiences with and evaluation of new
technologies and library services;
- Ideas how to combine these technologies in the
field of the library system and/or services?
- Prospective questions in the area of
technologies and library services;
- All other related subjects
NOTE: It is important to note that the basic technology per
se is not the theme of the conference, but rather its implantation and
use.
How to Submit a Proposal
Interested persons are invited to submit a proposal of no more than
1000 words for a paper and presentation of about 25 minutes on the
topics listed above before 1 December 2008. Please
include full contact details and a short biography for all co-authors.
The reviewing process will be finalised beginning of 2009. All
submitters will be informed by email of the results of this review
immediately. Please submit your paper to:
Alenka Kavčič-Čolić
E-mail: alenka.kavcic@nuk.uni-lj.si
Accepted languages
English is the official language of the conference and proposals
should be submitted in this language.
Attendance costs
Presenters and those attending the conference are responsible for
their own travel and accommodation costs and for payment of
pre-conference fees.
Important Dates
- Proposal submission: before
1st December 2008
- Notification of acceptance: by
31 January 2009
- Deadline for full text of the
presentation: 31 May 2009
Scientific Committee
The scientific committee will be formed by international experts
partially from the standing committee of IFLA Information Technology
Section, partially from dedicated professionals in the area of library
2.0 projects, Semantic Web applications and future trends in
information technology.
IFLA Annual Conference website