First Issue of Conversants Now Available

The first issue of Conversants is now available at http://conversants.syr.edu

While articles will be added as they are accepted, the first release has the following:

Editorial
Making library schools smarter
– Andrea Mercado

Artiles
When the conversation goes “meta”: Organizing knowledge in collaborative online environments
– David M Pimentel

A New Approach to Understanding the Digital Divide : Why two levels are not enough
– Todd Marshall

Essays
The Knowledge Base for a Participatory Library (Google Video)
– Keisuke Inoue

And a report on a meeting about Web 2.0 in the LIS Curriculum:
Colleagues converse about technology change, curricula

Please come and read, comment and participate.

Systems, Conversations and Participation

“Systems, Conversations and Participation” Innovative Interface’s Academic Library Director’s Conference, Berkeley, CA.

Abstract: Social is the rage across the Internet. Social bookmarking, social tagging, social networks. But what is social and why does it matter? Can we just make something, like a library social? How can concepts such as community conversations clarify the mission of the library and help direct us in how we build systems for today and tomorrow? David’s presentation will explore aspects of social computing and present underlying concepts of, what he terms, “participatory librarianship”. He will seek to go beyond today’s Web 2.0 buzz words and explore ways that today’s librarian can be effective and necessary in today’s “social” world.
Slides: https://davidlankes.org/rdlankes/Presentations/2008/iii.pdf
Audio: https://davidlankes.org/rdlankes/pod/sf.mp3
Video: http://ptbed.org/downloads/IIIBig.mp4

Conversing in the Library: Challenges and Opportunities

Brooklyn College Library, METRO and the Brooklyn Museum
Present

Conversing in the Library: Challenges and Opportunities

Inviting users to contribute, communicate and collaborate.

June 4, 2008 @ The Brooklyn College Library
9:30am-2:00pm

Participatory Networks: The Library as Conversation

Professor David Lankes is Director of the Information Institute of Syracuse (IIS) and an Associate Professor at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. His current focus is on reconceptualizing the library field through the lens of “participatory librarianship.” Simply put participatory librarianship recasts library and library practice using the fundamental concept that knowledge is created through conversation. Libraries are in the knowledge business; therefore libraries are in the conversation business. https://davidlankes.org/rdlankes/

Social Networking Initiatives at OCLC

Jasmine de Gaia, Director, Social Networking, OCLC
Jasmine de Gaia is responsible for leading OCLC’s efforts to investigate and develop the potential of social networking (e.g. the application of online communities, blogs, wikis, tagging, social software, etc.) for the benefit of libraries worldwide. Prior to joining OCLC, Jasmine led the product management of a portfolio of web-based software products at Lucent Technologies and various Silicon Valley startups. www.oclc.org

The Brooklyn Museum’s Innovative Electronic Community

Shelley Bernstein, Information Systems, and Deidre Lawrence, Principal Librarian/Coordinator of Research Services, Brooklyn Museum http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/

Conversations, Participation and Libraries

“Conversations, Participation and Libraries” SILS Colloquium at the Catholic University of America, Washington DC.

Abstract: Too much technology? Too little technology? Certainly the past two decades have challenged our schools to not only prepare librarians for a new practice environment, but to constantly place these technologies in the larger contexts of our field and society. New technologies, both the fads and the fundamental, have filled our traditional cores and electives to their breaking points. How can we decide what is durable in these new technologies? What is the proper balance between concepts and technology features? What is the overall concept of librarianship that allows us to define cutting edge, obsolete, and irrelevant? It is hoped that this meeting and the larger series of conversations taking place in LIS programs around the country, can bring some consensus to these questions.
Slides: https://davidlankes.org/rdlankes/Presentations/2008/Catholic.pdf
Audio: https://davidlankes.org/rdlankes/pod/Catholic.mp3
Video: http://ptbed.org/downloads/Catholic.mp4

Lankes to be Part of RUSA Preconference

Lankes will be part of a RUSA pre-confernece event at the ALA Conference organized by RSS and MARS (and they say libraries have too many acronyms):

Reference and User Services Association: Reference Services Section
(RSS) and Machine-Assisted Reference Services Section (MARS) 2008
Pre-conference, Reinvented Reference 4: Emerging Technologies for
Reference Service. The pre-conference will be held during the ALA
2008 Annual Conference on Friday, June 27, 2008, in Anaheim, CA.

The topic will be on social networking in reference.

Upcoming Participatory Events

Lankes will speak on the topic of participatory librarianship and LIS education at:

Catholic University’s School of Library and Information Science February 13th https://home.cua.edu/index.cfm?main=myannouncements&Detail=5871

and

Rutgers University’s School of Communication, Information and Library Studies March 26th http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/events/index.html

Another upcoming event will be:

Lankes will be part of a discussion on Credibility and participation at the iSchool Conference February 29th http://credibilitycommons.org/index.php/iconference2008_cfp_wildcard

Lankes Featured in ALA’s District Dispatch

District Dispatch Podcast #26

R. David Lankes, Director, Information Institute of Syracuse; Associate Professor, Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies; Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) Fellow
Andy Bridges, Communications Director, ALA Washington Office
Subject

In his role as OITP Fellow, Dave Lankes (pictured) has been engaging library schools across the country in conversations about the importance of participatory librarianship. In this episode of the District Dispatch Podcast, he tells listeners a little bit about it.

For video of Dave’s presentation at Drexel, please visit his blog. And be sure to head over to ptbed.org to learn all about participatory librarianship and how you can take part.

Program Length
14 minutes, 19 seconds

Check it out:

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=355