Final Program of the 2008 Annual Conference

 

Sunday, February 24, 2008

9:00am - 5:00pm Registration, Grand Ballroom Foyer

9:00am - 12:00pm NFAIS Board Meeting, Cliveden and Promenade Rooms, Second Floor (Mezzanine Level)

1:00pm - 1:05pm Welcome and Opening Remarks, Grand Ballroom

1:05pm - 1:45pm: Opening Keynote: A Look At The New Information Order

Dr. David Weinberger, Fellow at the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society

Title: Beyond Authority

Abstract: Many of our basic assumptions about how ideas and information ought to be organized spring from limitations on the physical that simply don't apply in the digital, connected world. As we unlearn the old lessons and invent new principles of organization, the nature and role of authority is itself changing. While we will always need authenticated information, it is assuming a new role in our culture, thus altering the institutions and businesses the provide it. As with any important cultural transformation, the new role may seem dangerous or even silly, but the change is nonetheless both profound and liberating. In this talk, David Weinberger will argue that the authority of knowledge is becoming social, politicized, fallible, and more truly reflective of human needs and human nature.

1:45pm - 2:30pm: Communication and Information Behavior in the New Information Order

Speaker: Lee Rainie, Founding Director, The Pew Internet and American Life Project [ Slides]

Title: Communication and Information Behavior in the New Information Order

Abstract: Lee Rainie will discuss the ways that digital technologies have changed people's relationship to information and their relationship with each other. He will explore the latest findings of the Pew Internet & American Life Project and look at the way different people use technology in different ways.

2:30pm - 3:00pm: Break and Networking Opportunity

Sponsored by The J. Paul Getty Trust

3:00pm - 4:30pm: The Emerging Culture of the New Information Order

Through out human history each generation has had its own information needs, resolving those needs within the limitations of the technology available to them. And each significant information technology breakthrough -- the printing presss, the computer and now the Web -- has brought about a cultural change in how people communicate and share information. Come and learn about the new culture that is being shaped across all market sectors via virtual communities, collaborative initiatives, and the change in user expectations wrought by technological change.

Panel Participants:

Chris Willis, Vice President, Social Media, Footnote.com [ Slides]

Title: Emerging Culture of the New Information Order: The Awesome Power of Participation and How to Harness It.

Abstract: How can you start building the tools that will make your content better, smarter and more findable on the Web? Can a balance between accuracy, authority and chaos be found? Chris Willis will detail examples, pitfalls and strategies to help you tap into the "wisdom of the crowds."

Bryan Alexander, Director, Research, National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education [ Slides]

Title: Academia and/or Web 2.0

Abstract: American higher education has responded to the rapid rise of Web 2.0 in complex ways, ranging from opposition to quiet adoption. Some faculty, IT departments, and librarians resist Web 2.0 for professional or institutional reasons, including security, sustainability, and content control. In contrast other academics offer local instances of these technologies. Some academics head off-campus to host their content, participating actively in global, social media. Academic uses have expanded in amount and format, including class content wikis, public intellectual blogging, profcasting and blogging study abroad. Older pedagogies translate into the new media, while new pedagogies emerge. Information literacy has become more complex and divided over social media issues. Meanwhile traditional-age students inhabit a Web 2.0 social world, often quite separate from the classroom and library experience. We examine these trends, and extrapolate from them into the near future.

Jean-Claude Bradley, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Drexel University [ Slides]

Title: Open Notebook Science

Abstract: This talk will describe the practice of Open Notebook Science, a form of Open Science where a laboratory's experiments are made immediately publicly available. The UsefulChem project, involving the synthesis and testing of novel anti-malarial agents, will be highlighted as an example of ONS. The use of blogs, wikis, mailing lists and other social software will be detailed. The application of cheminformatics tools will be demonstrated to move towards automation of the scientific process in novel ways. Openness in research meshes well with openness in teaching. Real data from the laboratory can be used in assignments to practice concepts learned in class.

5:00pm - 6:00pm: NFAIS Assembly Meeting (open to all NFAIS members), Grand Ballroom, Concourse Level

6:30pm - 8:00pm: Welcome Reception , Rose Garden and Promenade, Park Hyatt Philadelphia

Sponsored by Mark Logic and by Nerac

A great opportunity to relax, meet old friends and new acquaintances, and identify business contacts to be made over the next few days.

Monday, February 25, 2008

8:00am - 5:00pm: Registration, Grand Ballroom Foyer,

7:45am - 8:30am: Continental Breakfast

Sponsored by Thomson Scientific

8:30am - 10:00am: Plenary Session: Leveraging the New Information Environment.

Information providers and librarians have access to a spectrum of technologies with which to provide state-of-the-art tools for information discovery. Web 2.0 features such as RSS feeds, blogs, wikis, and podcasts; participation in virtual communities; use of geo-spatial and visualization software, and many more. Come and learn how both traditional and new information providers are blending content and technology to ensure that their products and services will meet the expectations of today's techno-savvy information seekers.

Speakers:

Rafael Sidi, Vice President, Product Development, Elsevier

Title: Introducing Illumin8

Martin R. Kalfatovic, Head, New Media Office and Preservation Services, Smithsonian Institute Libraries [ Slides]

Title: A Global Library of Life: The Biodiversity Heritage Library

Abstract: The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) is a consortium of major research libraries from natural history museums, botanical gardens and universities. The BHL focus is on creating a digital library of the world's taxonomic literature from the 18th century forward. Unlike other mass digitization projects, the BHL is focusing on a very specific literature and developing a suite of Web 2.0 applications in parallel with the scanning. The BHL is also a cornerstone member of the Encyclopedia of Life which will provide online documentation for the worlds 1.8 million plus species.

Over 4.5 million pages have been scanned with BHL's partner, the Internet Archive. A charter member of the Open Content Alliance, the BHL is committed to working with additional partners to provide open access to the world's taxonomic literature for the scientific community.

Krista Mantsch, Senior Research Librarian, Libraries and Information Services, National Geographic Society [ Slides]

Title: Growing Web 2.0 @ National Geographic

Abstract: National Geographic Society's Libraries & Information Services staff see ourselves as change agents. We work within the "white spaces" of the organizational chart - the place where no one else is working. Over the past few years, our focus has been on testing, prototyping and growing interactive and collaborative intranet-based tools and applications that we believe would benefit NGS staff. Because we are able to model practical examples, we are able to translate how Web 2.0 might meet their needs. The most important lesson we have learned is that building knowledge networks in the era of Web 2.0 is not just about the technology. It is more about building relationships, facilitating projects and teams, and engaging LIS and NGS staff in discovery and experimentation with new ideas.

10:00am - 10:30am: Break and Networking Opportunity

Sponsored by the American Psychological Association

10:30am - 12:00pm: Information Discovery: Emerging Technologies

Each new advance in technology raises user expectations and the bar is set higher for the next iteration. Users no longer want a lot of information in response to their queries - they are seeking knowledge. They want relevant answers; they want tools to help them understand those answers; and in seeking those answers they want the ultimate search experience. Come and learn about some newly emerging technologies that will allow you to create even greater perceived value for your products and services.

Speakers:

John Crupi, Chief Technology Officer, JackBe Corporation [ Slides]

Title: Making Web 2.0 Meaningful and Achievable in the Enterprise

Abstract: Has the consumer side of the Web spoiled us in the enterprise? With today's web focusing on user-generated content, social networking and building communities, how we communicate and collaborate in today's enterprise continues to evolve. This session is designed to focus on providing practical and actionable steps to adopting Web 2.0 solutions in the enterprise.

Dr. Aaron Brown, Program Director, Content Discovery, IBM Information Management Software [ Slides]

Title: Text Analytics Gets Real: Mining Content for Profit and Insight

Abstract: Text analytics technologies burst upon the scene several years ago with the promise of revolutionizing unstructured information management. Yet despite initial enthusiasm, they've struggled to gain widespread traction outside of narrow niches. The time has come, however, for text analytics to get real. Over the past two years the market has started to shift, with text analytics gaining new prominence as a key tool for competitive differentiation and risk management used by market-leading organizations worldwide in industries such as insurance, publishing, manufacturing, healthcare, and more. The driver behind this shift is that analytics has evolved from an extraction technology to a mining technology, leveraging metaphors of search and navigation to empower everyday business users with the ability to mine deep insight out of mountains of unstructured content -- helping organizations drive profit, reduce compliance risk, and differentiate their own information services offerings. We are approaching a watershed moment for text analytics, and in this talk I'll outline the trends and implications of this new era of analytics, highlight the technology innovations behind it, and describe examples where leading organizations have set the bar for others in their industries to follow.

George Spix, Technical Officer, Microsoft Corporation

Title: Immersive Computing, Microsoft Surface and Other Palettes

12:15pm - 1:45pm: Lunch (Members Only Session)

Sponsored by Elsevier

2:00pm - 3:30pm: Plenary Session: The Future of Information Discovery

User expectations are shaping the future of information discovery. And effective search strategies for Web-oriented databases and massive cloud computing resources have raised their expectations regarding the remarkable opportunities in exploratory search that can lead to productive discoveries. Collaborative searching techniques combined with social networking have the potential to harness collective intelligence so that domain experts and novices alike can make important discoveries across integrated databases. Designers of creativity support tools (demonstrations will be presented) are applying advanced visualizations in innovative ways to provide visual overviews with interactive tools that enable systematic yet flexible exploration. The best is yet to come!

Speakers:

Dr. Ben Shneiderman, Professor, Computer Science and Founding Director of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, University of Maryland [ Slides]

Title: The Future of Information Discovery

Abstract: Effective search strategies for Web sites and databases have raised user expectations, but there are still great opportunities in supporting exploratory search that leads to productive discoveries. Collaborative searching techniques combined with social networking have the potential to harness collective intelligence so that domain experts and novices can make important discoveries. Designers of creativity support tools are applying advanced visualizations in innovative ways to provide overviews with tools that enable systematic yet flexible exploration. The best is yet to come.

Randy Marcinko, President and CEO, Groxis [ Slides]

Title: Visualizing Search Results from Multiple Databases

Abstract: The presentation of search results is still almost exclusively a list, sometimes ranked by parameters such as relevance or date. Knowing that most end-users rarely surf beyond the first or second screen, a very small percentage or search results are ever seen or even considered by the end-user. Visualization, textually or graphically, is a viable solution to this problem, offering the end-user greater power to select those results that are most useful. Visualization also gives the content creator greater assurance that their work will be given a fair chance to be viewed. When searching on federated sources, it is even more important to put control of what is seen in the hands of the end-user. This talk will address the visualization of federated search results and include meaningful demos. The concept of visualization as an alternative to keyword search will be raised.

Susan Dumais, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Researcher

Title: Search and Context

Abstract: Today most search systems treat queries in isolation, without regard to searchers previous queries and interactions. Context is a key to improving search by understanding searchers interests, the rich interrelationships among objects, and the larger task environments in which information needs arise. Understanding and incorporating these contextual variables into search algorithms and interfaces will dramatically change the information landscape in the next decade. Demos of systems that support rich metadata and tagging (Phlat) and personalization (PSearch) will be shown.

3:30pm - 4:00pm: Break and Networking Opportunity

Sponsored by the Philosopher's Information Center

4:15pm - 5:00pm: Miles Conrad Lecture

Given by Robert J. Massie, President, CAS [ Slides and Text]

Robert J. Massie has been President of CAS (Chemical Abstracts Service), an operating division of the American Chemical Society, since 1992.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Massie had extensive publishing industry experience, including having served most recently as President and CEO of Gale Research, Inc., at the time a subsidiary of the Thomson organization, and widely considered the leading library reference publisher. In the 1980's, Mr. Massie held senior executive positions with the Torstar Corporation, the largest newspaper and book publishing company in Canada. Prior to that, he was a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. in New York where his clients included the General Electric Company and the New York Times Company. He also practiced law with the firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, DC. One of his areas of specialization was Food and Drug Law, representing pharmaceutical manufacturers before the FDA.

Mr. Massie is a member of the board of directors of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, TechColumbus, and the Columbus Partnership. He has also served on several private and public company boards. He has authored a number of papers, and speaks frequently to industry groups on the subject of scientific research in the digital age. In 1998, Mr. Massie received the Executive of the Year award from the Industry & Technology Council of Central Ohio. Mr. Massie was the 2003 recipient of the Patterson-Crane award for Outstanding Contribution to Providing Chemical Information Services, from the Columbus and Dayton, Ohio sections of the American Chemical Society.

Mr. Massie Holds a joint J.D./MBA degree from Columbia University, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar . He earned a B.A. with honors from Yale.

Miles Conrad Lecture

Title: CAS in the New Information Order

Abstract: For 100 years, CAS has adjusted its business model, technologies and practices to meet changing times. From CAS' perspective, today's "New Information Order" might simply be called the "Next Information Order", given the number of changes CAS has already weathered. This year's Miles Conrad Lecture is given by the head of one of the founding organizations of NFAIS, CAS, who will first reflect on lessons learned from CAS' history of adapting to and taking advantage of successive changes in the technology, economic and cultural scenes. He will then focus on the key elements of the current information order as well as the major trends in scientific information, and discuss how CAS is addressing them. Chemical degree not required.

6:00pm - 8:00pm: 50th Anniversary Gala (Academy of Music)

The gala this year will be held in the Ballroom of the historic Academy of Music -- the oldest grand opera house in the United States still used for its original purpose.

Please note that name tags will be required for admittance to the Academy.

Sponsored by H.W. Wilson

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

8:00am - 12:00pm: Registration, Grand Ballroom Foyer

7:45am - 8:30am: Continental Breakfast

Co-Sponsored by CrossRef and by IET/Inspec

8:30am - 10:00am: The New Information Economy: The Changing Value of Content

Free information on the Web, open access publishing, and the advertising revenue models initiated by the major Web search engines have changed the perceived value of content. Metered access is no longer the sole option for information seekers and their choice of resources is driven by the value proposition - accessing content that is "good enough" at a reasonable price. Come and learn more about the current market perception of the value of information and how content providers are working to enhance the value of the products and services that they offer.

Speakers:

Daniel Pollack, Vice President and Lead Analyst, Outsell, Inc. [ Slides]

Title: Authoritative Content and A&I Services - User Perceptions of Value

Feedback from a survey of information users, run in partnership with the NFAIS, examining the value of A&I services and authoritative content; Internet usage and quality of search results; and differences in perceived value by subject discipline.

Matt Dunie, Former President, ProQuest [ Slides]

Title: Increasing the Perceived Value of Authoritative Content: A Publisher's Perspective

Aaron Schmidt, Director, North Plains Public Library [ Slides]  See also Aaron's blog entry regarding this presentation as it may help clarify the slides.

Title: The Read/Write Web Opportunity

Abstract: The web is no longer for reading only. People increasingly find value in contributing content to the web and are becoming accustomed to having a voice. In this session Schmidt will discuss the challenges and opportunities that this raises for content providers and distributors. He will highlight how libraries have mixed together user generated content with traditional information and suggest ways that content providers can engage users.

10:00am - 10:30am: Break and Networking Opportunity

Sponsored by Thomson Scientific

10:30am - 12:30pm: The New Information Economy: Emerging Business Practices

Today's business practices are evolving to reflect the culture and communication behavior of the new information order. Virtual communities serve as test beds for product development and marketing; traditional competitors collaborate on projects of mutual benefit; and business models are being transformed to meet the needs of the new society. Come and learn how information providers are ensuring that their organizations are taking visible leadership roles in the new information economy.

Speakers:

Marisa Westcott, Vice President, Marketing, Thomson Scientific [ Slides]

Title: Looking for a new life? How about a Second Life?

Abstract: What do rock stars, college professors, car buyers, prospective brides and innovative businesses have in common? They're all connecting with others - and doing business-on Second Life and other virtual communities.

Once just an interesting social phenomenon, virtual communities have become a key element of new business models, providing new opportunities and ways to conduct business.

Second Life is a prime example of how virtual communities can be used as an effective platform for sharing information - for business as well as social purposes. Second Life provides an immersive, 3-D online world that encourages creativity and collaboration. Companies, universities, libraries, non-profits, educators and marketers are seriously investigating and implementing ways ot use Second Life's virtual space as business space. They are holding meetings, offering product simulations, conducting training sessions and solving problems. Universities and other research facilities are using second Life and other virtual communities as a place for open discussion, learning, scientific interaction and collaboration with colleagues worldwide.

Businesses are using virtual communities to connect with potential and current customers, stimulate collaboration and feedback, and build a dynamic community structured around their branding message. Virtual communities are offering new opportunities that have only begun to be explored.

Kate Wittenberg, Director, Electronic Publishing Initiative, Columbia University [ Slides]

Title: Partnerships and Collaboration: The New Culture for Content Creation

Abstract: Until now publishers have controlled not only the development of content, but also its discovery and delivery. We now face a new world in which our readers are challenging us by using content in new ways. How should we respond? We can object when the books or articles or teaching tools we publish are used in ways we haven't anticipated, and continue business as usual. We can keep our scholarly credentials pure by avoiding ventures that involve collaboration with commercial enterprises. We can frown on what younger users do with technology as "entertainment." Or we can think creatively about how to develop new publishing models that reflect the environment in which we find ourselves.

Going forward, our work must take a more experimental turn, and we will need to initiate conversations with new players and new partners. In essence, the old model of working in a publishing industry that operates independently from other sectors of the information community is no longer effective. In this presentation I will examine several examples from our online publications that offer new models for collaboration in content creation that prepare us to operate effectively in the new information economy.

Caspar de Bono, Managing Director B2B, The Financial Times [ Slides]

Title: A Solution To the Dilemma of Free vs. Paid

Abstract: The Financial Times is one of the worlds leading sources of information for senior decision- makers. We have an alternative approach to the dilemma of whether our content should be given away for free or remain paid for. We have implemented a frequency based subscription model that allows casual users an opportunity to sample a limited amount of content. We are also introducing a new direct licensing model for unlimited access to our content on third party platforms.

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm: Awards Lunch

Sponsored by Copyright Clearance Center

1:45 pm - 3:15 pm: The New Information Economy: The Impact of Geographic Shifts in Economic Power

As countries such as India and China rise in power their roles are expanding beyond outsourcing to that of customers as well as creators of core information for inclusion in products and services. The impact of this shift raises diverse issues for information providers related to content, product, and overall business practices. How much foreign language material will needed to be translated, indexed and abstracted and how can this be done cost-effectively? Is it sufficient to push existing products into global markets or should they be reshaped to be of regional interest? Is a physical presence in those regions necessary for success? Come and learn more about the shift in the information economy and how some publishers are already leveraging the opportunities that are being created

Speakers:

Victor Camlek, Director, Market Intelligence, Thomson Scientific [ Slides]

Title: An Overview of the Geographic Shift in Economic Power

Abstract: Recent economic data indicates trends that will shape the future ranking of global economic leaders. Over the next several years developing economies, such as China and India, are expected to continue their dramatic growth. These developments are influencing global companies to realign their businesses and operational planning in order to establish increased presence in these developing markets. This trend is already visible among leading publishers. This talk will highlight economic performance indicators as well as other significant market drivers such as the availability of a highly skilled and educated workforce capable of fulfilling a variety of professional jobs including information and publishing roles . This discussion provides an informative introduction to expert presentations that will focus on specific aspects of doing business in the new economy

Adrian Stanley, Chief Executive Officer, The Charlesworth Group (USA) [ Slides]

Title: China Opening Up

Dr. James Chan, Founder, Asia Marketing and Management [Slides]

Title: China - The Flow of Information in a Controlled Society

Abstract: Information in China is not treated in the same way as it is in the West. This session shows how the flow of information is controlled in the China market and how Western firms can work around such controls to maximize their opportunities as the Information Age dawns on China

3:15pm - 3:30pm: Break and Networking Opportunity

Sponsored by H.W. Wilson

3:30 - 5:00 pm: Strategies for Success in the New Information Order

In the closing panel, CEO's from the corporate, academic and government sectors will discuss how their market will be impacted by the culture, content, technology and economy of the new information order and the strategies that they believe are necessary to ensure the future long term success of their own organizations.

Speakers:

Andrew Popper, Vice President, Marketing and Product Management, Medical Research Division, Wolters Kluwer Health  [Slides]

Title: Boundless Opportunities for Content, Customization and Personalization

William Sonntag, Principal International and External Liaison, EPA Office of Environmental Information, Environmental Protection Agency [ Slides]

Title: How EPA is transforming Web 2.0 into Gov 2.0

James G. Neal, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian, Columbia University [ Slides]

Title: The Sybilification of the Academic Research Library -- Managing Success in a Schizophrenic Information Order

Abstract: The academic research library continues to focus on the core activities of information acquisition, synthesis, navigation, dissemination, interpretation, understanding and archiving. But it is also expanding on the new roles of aggregator, publisher, educator, research and development, entrepreneur, and policy advocate. How do developments in information and communications technologies, digital content and tools, globalization and collaboration drive the vision and practice of library as legacy, as infrastructure, as repository, as portal as enterprise and as public interest?

5:00pm: Adjourn