The Rogue Scholar

Entrepreneursim in Libraries

This looks extremely interesting, from the ERIL-L listserv:

To all Librarians, Entrepreneurs, and Innovators:

We seek pioneers, adventurers and inventors to tell their stories.  The libraries of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Wake Forest University are organizing a conference entitled, "Inspiration, Innovation, and Celebration: an Entrepreneurial Conference for Librarians".  We strive to provide a forum for you to share your path to change.

Conference dates: June 3rd and 4th, 2009 in the Elliott University Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

The mission for this conference is threefold:
1) To share and celebrate entrepreneurial accomplishments in libraries
2) To inspire each other to innovate in our libraries
3) To create a community of interested librarians who will perpetuate the discussion beyond the conference

Entrepreneurial activity may have taken place in areas such as: instruction, services, processes, facilities or resources, but this list is not exhaustive.  We're interested in hearing about your process and the successful presentation could include the following:

·  Identification of an unmet need or development of an innovative approach that extends the scope of service 

·  A non-traditional approach to fulfilling our mission as libraries

·  A description of how a solution was designed and implemented including any obstacles that were encountered (financial, structural, human...)

·  A discussion of lessons learned or what you would do differently next time and the project's current status   

·  A description of the keys to success 

·  A tone that inspires us all to become more entrepreneurial in our libraries, however small the project

Format:

·  Sessions should be one hour in length to include 45 minute presentation with 15 minutes for Q&A. 

·  We will accept panel discussions

Timing:

·  If interested, submit a letter of intent - a one paragraph description of your presentation - immediately.  Those who submit a letter of intent by September 1st will receive priority consideration.  

·  Please submit your final proposal by 5:00 pm on Monday 1 November 2008; it should include a detailed outline of the presentation with a textual description of the entrepreneurial project. 

·  Photos, drawings or other multi-media aids are welcome; display space will be available at the conference.  

·  Invitations to present will be delivered by mid-December

·  Send your submission to:

Rosann Bazirjian
Dean of University Libraries
The University of North Carolina - Greensboro
P.O. Box 26170
Greensboro, NC  27402-6170
E-mail: Rosann_Bazirjian@uncg.edu
Phone: (336) 334-3418
Fax:  (336) 334-5399

Conference Steering Committee:  Rosann Bazirjian, Wanda Brown, Michael Crumpton, Mary Krautter, Mary Beth Lock, Barry Miller, Mary Scanlon

 

The Future of the Catalog: Deconstruction or Reinvention?

Thom Hickey described his experience speaking at a conference organized by the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Association of College and  Research Libraries on his blog.  The conference title: The Future of the Catalog: Deconstruction or Reinvention?  Personally, I've managed to convince myself that everything in the world of libraries is a matter of reinvention. Deconstruction and analysis can only take you so far, I've found.  Perhaps a better question is whether Libraryland is reinventing us in a Procrustean sort of way or we are reinventing it the way Peter the Great reinvented 18th century Russia. I'd like to think we're in charge, but everyone reading this knows that institutions have a way to getting what they want regardless of what their caretakers think.  Oh, well. 

At any rate, it looks like it was a pretty nifty conference.