Volume 5, Issue 1, Fall 2003

Conference to Address Future of University Library

On October 30 and 31, a cutting-edge conference at the Illini Union will address current and future issues facing the University Library. Funded by the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost, the “Conference on the Future of the Library” will feature a panel of distinguished experts from various fields and engage the campus in a series of interactive discussions.

“Research libraries today are faced with a variety of challenges that place unprecedented demands on resources, especially in difficult budget times,” explains university librarian Paula Kaufman. “These challenges include skyrocketing costs, the explosive growth in scholarly research, increased demand for materials, and the need for both electronic and print resources. This conference will help us develop creative solutions as well as prepare for the Library's role in the next decade.”

The conference will bring together a group of ten internationally known speakers to interact with Library stakeholders: internal and external advisory board members, campus administration, faculty, students, donors, and patrons. The goal is to reach to a common level of understanding regarding the issues and to determine the Library's best future directions for scholarship and service.

The first day will consist of a series of presentations about the following topics:

Critical Future Issues for Research Libraries

Deanna Marcum , Library of Congress, and Clifford Lynch , Center for Networked Information

• Library Services in the Future

Sarah E. Thomas , Cornell University , and Wendy Lougee , University of Minnesota

• The Role of Print and Print Repositories in the Digital Age

Bernard Reilly , Center for Research Libraries, and Abby Smith , Council on Library and Information Resources

• Scholarly Communications Trends

Mary Case , Association of Research Libraries, and Jean Claude Guédon , University of Montreal

• Library Space in the Digital Age

Geoff Freeman , Shepley, Bullfinch, Richardson & Abbott, and Stephen Murray , Columbia University

The second day will feature cross-cutting meetings of all Library advisory committees and other stakeholders, which will be chaired by conference speakers and Library personnel. Participants will be asked to jointly advise Library administration on how to address challenges and priorities for the future.

Faculty may register for the conference online at http://www.library.uiuc.edu/announce/conffuture.html or call (217) 333-0790 for more information.