Reference Renaissance Conference

The complete program for A Reference Renaissance: Current and Future Trends is now available. Early bird registration has been extended thru June 30 at a rate of $150; regular registration is $175. Registration includes all sessions on both days and access to the exhibits as well as breakfast and lunch both days. A special hotel rate of $105 (+tax) per night is available for reservations made before July 11. This exciting two-day event, to be held on August 4-5, 2008, features keynote speaker David W. Lewis, Dean of the University Library at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, who will talk about “Reference in the Age of Wikipedia, Or Not…” and the implications of the technological and social transformations brought on by Google, Wikipedia, and answer services such as ChaCha. On day two of the conference, a plenary panel discussion, Theory Meets Practice, made up of educators and library directors will highlight what’s being taught in schools of library and information science and what’s being implemented in libraries. This panel features Dr. David Lankes (Information Institute of Syracuse), Dr. Marie L. Radford (Rutgers University), Jamie LaRue (Douglas County Libraries, CO), and Carla J. Stoffle (University of Arizona). Other sessions cover the full gamut of reference and information services in public, academic, and special library settings. Learn about “predatory reference” techniques, screencasts for distance reference, gathering meaningful statistics, the impact of serious leisure on reference services, new staff training initiatives, widgets, IM, marketing in-person services – and more! Meet and network with your colleagues from all over the U.S., Canada, and other countries, and spend time with exhibitors showcasing a variety of reference focused products. For more information on the conference, please go to the conference website or contact Justine Shaffner. To discuss the conference and find out about and make plans for social activities, sign up at the conference Ning site.