Monthly Archives: December 2007

Feminist Interdisciplinary Theory and Practice

Posted on December 11, 2007 | Leave a comment

April 11 – 13 2008

Keynote Speaker:
Dr Marsha Hanen
former President of the University of Winnipeg, and pioneer in the development of interdisciplinary studies in Canada.

The host of this conference, the Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies, was endowed by well-known Toronto-based feminist and philanthropist Nancy Ruth, to raise awareness of women’s issues by bringing to campus distinguished scholars in women’s studies and activists who have contributed to the advancement of women.

Mount Saint Vincent University, the home of the Nancy’s Chair, has a proud history as a leader in innovative and creative learning approaches with an emphasis on women, academic excellence, distinctive programs, and a personal approach to education.

Women’s studies and feminist theory are boldly, creatively interdisciplinary in establishing strong connections between scholarly inquiry and women’s lives. They are reconfiguring disciplinary boundaries and academic structures while honouring scholarly integrity and activist commitments in universities and other post-secondary institutions, and in the world outside the academy. Feminist scholars and activists have developed innovative ways of navigating within traditional academic disciplines and institutional structures, and drawing on the resources of multiple, often diverse, disciplines, practices, and ways of knowing.

Breaking Boundaries, Forging Connections will explore the promise and the challenges of interdisciplinarity in feminist and women’s studies, and in the activism it informs and is informed by at the beginning of the twenty-first century, in Canada and internationally. We welcome contributions that present interdisciplinarity at work in diverse formats and modes of address, critical reflections on interdisciplinarity as such, performance, video and narrative presentations, workshops, roundtables and panels, and contributions that attest to the prospects and productive collaborations interdisciplinary commitments can animate.

Proposals might:

* celebrate some of the successes – the triumphs – of interdisciplinary work, showing by example how it can be greater than the sum of its parts

* show by example how the very idea of interdisciplinarity reconfigures fixed conceptions of “expertise”

* illustrate how new forms of interdisciplinarity have succeeded in bringing together the “two cultures”: the sciences and the humanities

* present possibilities for combining insights and issues derived from several disciplines

* contrast interdisciplinarity that derives from group connections and interdisciplinary work engaged individually

* consider how interdisciplinary inquiry helps to cross an (imaginary) divide between the university or college and the community

* present research that has developed out of inquiry that crosses two or more disciplines

In short, we welcome contributions that demonstrate the creative potential of interdisciplinary work, that show how interdisciplinarity counteracts the narrowness that can result from over-specialization in the academy and in professional schools, and/or that explore interdisciplinarity in public responses to research and practice. And we welcome proposals that expand on, challenge, or depart from the possibilities outlined here. Given the nature of this theme, we particularly welcome panel presentations or poster sessions that pose questions for discussion, mini-workshops, and mixed-media presentations.
Single papers will be allocated a maximum of 25 minutes’ reading time.
Panels may be allocated a longer presentation time.

Conference presentations may be considered for publication in
Atlantis: A Women’s Studies Journal.

Submission deadline: Friday, January 04, 2008

Submission format: Please submit either a complete paper (not to exceed 3000 words), a long abstract (1000 words), or a 1000-word detailed description of a panel or workshop, listing participants and indicating any special presentation requirements.

Submit paper copies only to:

Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies
ISW 4, Mount Saint Vincent University
166 Bedford Highway
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3M 2J6

Please direct all inquiries to Dr. Lorraine Code at :lorraine.code@msvu.ca

This conference will be preceded by a one-day conference, Epistemic
Bridges: Interdisciplinarity in the Academy, at Dalhousie University, on April 10, 2008, organized by the Interdisciplinary PhD Students’ Society. Inquiries about this one-day conference should be directed to Nancy Salmon at nsalmon@dal.ca

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Posted in Gender Issues in Libraries, Women's and Gender Studies, Women's Studies Librarianship

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Education Libraries

Posted on December 10, 2007 | Leave a comment

We are accepting papers for the next two issues of Education Libraries, a
peer-reviewed journal published by SLA’s Education Division. This journal
is indexed in ERIC, and Wilson Library Literature and Information Science.
For information about the journal, instructions for authors, and full-text
copies of selected back issues, please go to
http://units.sla.org/division/ded/education_libraries.html. You do not have
to be a member of SLA or the Education Division to publish in Education
Libraries. We welcome additional book reviewers.

Call for papers, Spring 2008:
The next issue will focus on children’s resources.
Deadline: February 1, 2008

Call for papers, Fall 2008:
Topics could include archives and digitization; historical collections;
digital libraries; workforce development and information literacy.
Deadline: August 1, 2008

Email queries and manuscripts to co-editor, Jacqueline Snider at
jacqueline-snider@uiowa.edu.

Thank you.
Jacqueline Snider

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Posted in Adult Education, Digitization, Education, Instruction, Instructional Design and Technology, K-12, Libraries, Staff Training

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Workshop PROSIT – PROducing Standards for the ‘Internet of Things’

Posted on December 10, 2007 | Leave a comment

Zurich, Switzerland, 26 March 2008
http://www.prosit-ws.org

Background and Scope

Imagine a network with literally billions of mobile nodes, without any
pre-defined communication infrastructure, whose nodes are primarily
sensors and actuators with limited processing capabilities. Such
networks exhibit specific communication requirements between individual
nodes, and between nodes and central access points that provide
connectivity with the outside world.

Many, if not most of these nodes are integrated into everyday devices;
they will be found inside cars, at home, and in the shopping mall. The
application areas based on such networks are varied and numerous,
including, for example, intelligent homes, car safety, and item
tracking. Many such applications will become part of our lives, and are
prone to collect information that would be considered as private by
many. For the average user, it will be next to impossible to establish
who has access to these information, and for which purposes.

This unprecedented penetration of virtually everyone’s life suggests the
need for a close scrutiny of the various processes to be associated with
the development of such a technology and its subsequent wide deployment.
International standardisation of information and communication
technologies (ICT) is among the most important of these processes. It is
linked to both the technological development and the policy and legal
frameworks within which the technology is to be developed and deployed.

Accordingly, this Workshop aims to discuss the development of adequate
standards setting processes for the Internet of Things. The analysis of
the current situation in ICT standards setting, the current legal
situation with respect to standards, and the development of
recommendations on how to adapt the processes to adequately serve the
environment created by the IoT will be addressed through insights from
various disciplines.

Sample topics to be discussed by the Workshop include:
* aspects of the standards process’ necessary democratic legitimacy,
* potential barriers of entry to certain stakeholders (e.g., SMEs, NGOs,
consumers),
* the necessary level of openness of the process (i.e., level of
consensus required, observation of due process, ‘equality’ of
participants, etc),
* the different stakeholders’ requirements on the process,
* analysis of today’s standard setting processes with respect to their
suitability for the IoT,
* legal implications of standards today and tomorrow (including IPR issues),
* new forms of participation in the process,
* how to manage relations between relevant standards (e.g., UMTS,
CAPWAP, Zigbee, ISO 18000) and associated standards setting bodies
(ETSI, 3GPP, IETF, ITU-T, etc).

The Workshop aims at serving as a platform for the exchange of ideas and
views. It will, therefore, devote much time to the interaction between
participants. To this end, not only submissions of ‘traditional’ papers
are solicited, but also proposals of topics for round-table discussions
or other forms of moderated interactions.

The Workshop will be held in conjunction with the Int. Conference ‘Internet of Things 2008’; see
http://www.the-internet-of-things.org/

Submission guidelines

We solicit contributions from both academia (draft papers of up to 6,000
words) and practice (extended abstracts of up to 1,000 words). Also,
proposals for interactive activities are solicited (1000 words;
providing information about topic, format, speakers, etc). Submissions
should be sent in .rtf, .doc, or .pdf to the workshop organiser at
kai.jakobs@cs.rwth-aachen.de. All draft papers will undergo a double-
blind peer-review process; all other proposals will be evaluated more
informally, based their on suitability and originality.
Selected papers will be considered for publication in the Int. Journal
of IT Standards and Standardization Research (JITSR).

Important dates:

12 January 2008: Workshop paper submission deadline
9 February 2008: Notification of acceptance/rejection of papers
23 February 2008: Submission of final papers

Programme Committee

Knut Blind, FhG ISI & TU Berlin, DE
Yves Chauvel, ETSI, FR
Tineke Egyedi, TU Delft, NL
Simao Ferraz de Campos-Neto, ITU-T, CH (tbc)
Vladislav Fomin, Vytautas Magnus U., LT
Ole Hanseth, U. of Oslo, NO
Eric Iversen, NIFU STEP, NO
Kai Jakobs, RWTH Aachen U., DE
Ken Krechmer, ICSR, US,
Kalle Lyytinen, Case Western Reserve U., US
Roy Rada, U. of Maryland, US
Kai Reimer, RWTH Aachen DE
Mostafa H. Sherif, AT&T, US
Henk de Vries, ERASMUS U., NL
Willem Wakker, ACE Cons., NL
Marc van Wegberg, U. of Maastricht, NL
Robin Williams, U. of Edinburgh, UK

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Panel on Pacific Feminism in the 21st Century for Women’s Worlds 2008 )

Posted on December 6, 2007 | Leave a comment

Madrid (3-9 July 2008

How are Pacific women doing feminist work in the 21st Century? And how is
feminism defined in the broad Pacific context or the more specific regional
and national contexts? This panel looks to investigate the diverse ways
Pacific women understand, theorize, and practice what is called feminism in
the Anglo-American context. Papers are solicited from a broad engagement
with these issues. The following is a list of suggested topics but it is by
no means prescriptive:

– Updates on Pacific conferences addressing women’s issues (for
example the Fiji conference in the 1988).

– Alternative theoretical woman-oriented models for Pacific women as
defined broadly, in the regional contexts (Melanesia, Polynesia, and
Micronesia, for example) or within specific national or communal contexts.

– Women’s engagement with political systems as lobbyists, legislatures
and leaders as well as within grass roots activism

– Teaching women’s studies within this geographic region

– Engagements with Anglo-American feminisms

– Influences of colonialism, imperialism and/or globalization on
women’s self-perception, political engagement and agency, and social
organization

Please send a 250-word abstract along with a current CV (along with any
inquiries) by December 15 to:

Helen Thompson, Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies
University of Guam
P.O. Box 5319
UOG Station
Mangilao, GU 96923
drhelent@gmail.com

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Posted in Women's and Gender Studies, Women's Studies Librarianship

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Handbook of Research on Technology Project Management, Planning and Operations

Posted on December 4, 2007 | Leave a comment

Call for Chapters for the
Handbook of Research on Technology Project Management, Planning and Operations
Editor: Terry T. Kidd
University of Texas Health Science Center, USA

Introduction
Each of the recent innovations in technology can be traced back to a project: the behind the scenes work that, when managed correctly, results in a new system, a new technology, or a new product in the marketplace. Technology project management refers to the field of study and practice utilizing management and administrative principles as a means to controlling the bounds of a technology based project to solve business and organizational challenges and human performance issues. Within the field of technology project management, there are many specific areas of focus. While technology project management can apply to the military and corporate settings, it is also applied to the school setting including charter schools, public schools, online, higher education or anywhere a technology project or initiative can be initiated.

With the rapid progress in technologies, systems planning and management have become increasingly important in this digital economy. New technologies that can have significant implications for corporate strategies are developed constantly. The incredible growth of technologies and the demand for a new generation of technology stakeholders have facilitated the introduction of Technology Project Management programs in many higher education institutions in the US and around the world. The Handbook of Research on Technology Project Management, Planning and Operations will provide a broad scope of information technology project and resources for researchers, educators, students, and industry practitioners to share and exchange their research ideas, practical experiences, challenges, and opportunities concerning technology project management.

Coverage: The Handbook of Research on Technology, Project Management, Planning and Operations will provide a compendium of terms, definitions and explanations of concepts, processes and acronyms. Additionally, this volume will feature chapters (5,000-7,500 words) authored by leading experts offering an in-depth description of key terms and concepts related to different areas, issues and trends in technology project management, technology management, technology planning, and technology operations in modern organizations worldwide.

Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
(We will solicit research-oriented as well as practitioner-oriented chapters. Case studies will also be solicited.)
Issues that technology professionals face, such as understanding technology resources, managing project scope and feature creep, meeting client expectations
Technology operations
Technology planning
Technology adoption
Technology management
Applications of project management to technology based projects
Qualitative research in technology planning, management, and operations
Quantitative research in technology planning, management, and operations
Processes and strategies for technology planning, management, and operations
Technology leadership
Technology project management life cycle
Quality management, control and assurance: tools and techniques
Real world cases
Assessment methods
Tools and techniques for managing and organizing R&D, new product, and project-oriented challenges
Challenges and Opportunities
Threats to technology planning, management, and operations
Future Trends
Continuity and Contingency Planning
Public policy, legislation, regulation and their affects on technology, planning, management and operations
Strategies and process for technology planning, management, and operations
Financial, accounting, budgeting: methods and practices
Management standards, models, and tools
Trends and issues from the international community

Invited Submissions: Individuals interested in submitting chapters (5,000-7,500 words) on the above-suggested topics or other related topics in their area of interest should submit via e-mail a 1-2 page manuscript proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of the proposed chapter by December 1, 2007. We strongly encourage other topics that have not been listed in our suggested list, particularly if the topic is related to the research area in which you have expertise. Upon acceptance of your proposal, you will have until April 15, 2008, to prepare your chapter of 5,000-7,500 words and 7-10 related terms and their appropriate definitions. Guidelines for preparing your paper and terms and definitions will be sent to you upon acceptance of your proposal. Full chapters will be submitted to a double-blind peer review.

You will be notified about the status of your proposed topics by December 31, 2007. This book is tentatively scheduled for publishing by Information Science Reference, an imprint of IGI Global, http://www.igi-global.com/reference/ in 2009. For additional information regarding the publisher, please visit http://www.igi-global.com/ .

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to:

Editor, Terry T. Kidd
terry.t.kidd@uth.tmc.edu
Terry T. Kidd
University of Texas Health Science Center
School of Public Health
1200 Hermann Pressler Office: West-220
Houston, TX 77030

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AICT 2008, The Fourth Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications

Posted on December 3, 2007 | Leave a comment

CALL FOR PAPERS, TUTORIALS, PANELS

AICT 2008, The Fourth Advanced International Conference on Telecommunications

June 8-13, 2008 – Athens, Greece

Site: http://www.iaria.org/conferences2008/AICT08.html

Submission deadline: January 20, 2008

Submissions will be peer-reviewed, published by IEEE CPS, posted in IEEE
Digital Library, and indexed with the major indexes.

Extended versions of selected papers will be invited for specialized
journals.

AICT 2008 Topics (details in the CfP on site):

* Information theory and coding theory
* Communication theory, signal processing, modulation
* Optical communications
* Designing and management of optical networks
* Optical photonic technologies
* Networking theory, protocols, and technologies on next generation
networking
* Broadband communications and networks
* Programmable networks, active networks and mobile agents, protocol
& standards
* Performance and QoS, Traffic engineering (MPLS, DiffServ, IntServ,
etc.)
* Telecommunication/Network management and services
* Broadband access network and service
* Network planning and optimization
* Real-time traffic and QoS
* 3G and 4G mobile communication services
* Wireless communications antennas & propagation & transmission
technologies
* Evolution from 2G to 2.5G, 3G and beyond
* Personal communications
* Wireless multimedia & networks & systems
* Cellular and ad hoc networks
* Metro/Access networks
* Wireless access (WPAN, WLAN, WLL)
* IEEE Standardization (IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16)
* Web services communications, applications, and performance
* Security and trust in Web Services applications
* Platforms for Web Services based applications and services
* Communication software and intelligent network theory
* Object and component technologies in telecommunication software
* Telecommunication protocol engineering and telecommunication
software tools
* Standardization (ITU, NGN, TISPAN, Policy Models, etc.)
* SOHO (Small Offices/Home Offices)
* SAPIR: Partial and intermittent resources
* ELETE: E-learning and mobile learning on telecommunications
* TELET: Teletraffic modeling and management

================
IARIA Publicity Board
================

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Ottoman Women’s Movements and Print Cultures

Posted on December 2, 2007 | Leave a comment

Call for papers for a volume on Ottoman Women’s Movements and Print Cultures

We are soliciting papers on the relationship between the development of women’s
movements and the expansion of print culture in the Ottoman Empire from the
Tanzimat period to the early years of the Turkish republic, with a particular
focus on the Ottoman women’s movement(s) from the period of Tanzimat to the
1908 constitutional reform, the 1909 Adana massacre, to the 1911 loss in the
Balkan wars and its continuation in 1912-1913, the 1915 Metz Yerghern/
Genocide, the formative period that led to the 1923 Republic of Turkey [with a
loss of plural vision…].

Given the multi-ethnic and multi-religious heritage of the Ottoman Empire, the
proposed collection aims to highlight women’s movements and print cultures in
the diverse religious and linguistic communities or Millets of the Ottoman
Empire including the Ottoman Greek, Armenian, Jewish, Kurdish, Arab and Turkish
communities.

We hope that these articles will analyze aspects of the social, economic,
cultural and political contexts in which Ottoman women engaged in cultural
production and participated in public life.

The collection aims to stimulate discussion on the impact of changing
ideologies and political circumstances on the women’s movements within the
Empire. We would also welcome comparative studies of women
and women’s organizations among the Ottoman Millets.

Suggested topics or questions might include, but are not limited to, the
following:

* The relationship between print culture, Ottoman women’s writing and the
development of women’s movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

* The conditions and institutions which facilitated or hindered Ottoman women’s
access to print culture. Women’s attitudes to writing. Was writing viewed as a
means of advancing a cause or as a source of employment? Were women restricted
in terms of content or genre?

*Did Ottoman women form alliances or organizations across communal lines? Is
there evidence that women of the different communities were aware of each
other’s activities and writing?

* Transformations in women’s movements and print cultures at the end of the
Ottoman Empire and in the first decade of the Turkish Republic.

* The changing ideologies within the late Ottoman Empire and platforms of
women’s movements within the Empire and its millets.

Please submit a 200 word proposal by January 31, 2008 to the co-editors:
Dr. Sima Aprahamian Dr. Victoria Rowe
aprhsma@alcor.concordia.ca vrowe@fps.chuo-u.ac.jp

Authors of selected proposals for inclusion in the up-coming publication will
be contacted in mid-February. Final papers need to be submitted by June 1,
2008.
The Publishers, University of Texas Press, require the final papers to be 40
pages maximum double spaced, typed in Times Roman font size 12, following the
citation guide of the Chicago Manual of style for manuscripts.

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ICALT 2008: The 8th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies

Posted on December 2, 2007 | Leave a comment

ICALT 2008: The 8th IEEE International Conference on Advanced
Learning Technologies
Learning technologies in the Information society

Santander, Cantabria, Spain
July 1st- July 5th, 2008

http://www.ask4research.info/icalt/2008/

Deadline: January 15th, 2008

It is unquestionable that technology is a useful tool to enhance the
learning process and during the last ICALT conferences significant advances have been
presented in this sense. Besides the usual topics of the conference, this edition of
the conference aims to explore the role of learning technologies to step forward in the
transformation from the information society to a knowledge society where everybody
(independently of race, sex, abilities, capabilities, …) can be benefit from technologies
to enhance her learning process. This open a world of opportunities for analysing the use of
technology in inclusive learning environments that take into account the characteristics and
expectations of different kinds of users and different kinds of learning experiences, whether
formal or informal, individual or cooperative, life-long or short term…

TOPICS OF INTERESTS

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

* Inclusive learning environments, tools and experiences

* Formal and informal learning

* HCI guidelines and principles for educational systems

* Transforming schooling and training through learning technologies

* New Generations of educational technologies

* Web 2.0 and social computing for learning and instruction

* Educational technologies for new generations

* Technologies for real-time assessment of learning and performance

* Linking dynamic concept mapping and problem solving in complex
domains

* Personalized mobile computing for learning and instruction

* Personalized educational systems

* Interdisciplinary programs to prepare educational
technologists CSCL technologies

* Content authoring technologies

* e-Pedagogy and Instructional Design

* Knowledge Management Technologies in Education

* Organizational Management of e-Learning in Universities

* e- testing and new test theories

* Data mining, text mining, and web mining in education

IMPORTANT DATES

* January 15, 2008: Papers, workshops and tutorials submissions
* February 28, 2008: Notification to authors about the review
process
* March 15, 2008: Final camera-ready manuscript and Copyright
form submission
* March 30, 2008: Author registration deadline
* April 15, 2008: Early bird registration
* Conference: July 1st- July 4th, 2008

SUBMISSIONS

We invite submission of papers reporting original academic or
industrial research in the area of Advanced Learning
Technologies. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Complete papers are
required to be reviewed. The expected type of submissions are:

* Full paper: 5 pages
* Short paper: 3 pages
* Posters: 2 pages
* Tutorial proposals: 2 pages
(The tutorial proposal should clearly outline the novelty of
the tutorial content, the expected audience, objectives, and
outcomes. Each tutorial will run for about 3 hours.)
* Panel proposals: 2 pages
(The panel proposal should clearly outline the theme of the
panel, its significance, expected outcomes, and at least five panel
participants. Each panel will run for about one and half hours. Panel
participants will have the possibility of submitting two-page papers
for review process for the papers to be included in the conference
proceedings.)
* Workshop: 2 pages
(The workshop proposal should clearly outline the theme of the
workshop, its emerging nature, expected outcomes, and at least five
panel participants. Each workshop will run for about two and half
hours. Workshop participants will have the possibility of submitting
two-page papers for review process for the papers to be included in
the conference proceedings.

Please submit your manuscript at: <a href="http://www.ask4research.info/
conference/upload.php”>http://www.ask4research.info/
conference/upload.php If you have any problems with the
above web submission form, you can send the manuscript by email to
icalt-operations@ieee.org (subject: ICALT2008 Submission).

ORGANIZATION, SPONSORED BY AND PROCEEDINGS

Organization
Laboratorio DEI, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
School of Industrial and Telecomunication Engineering,
Universidad of Cantabria

Sponsored by
IEEE Technical Committee on Learning Technology. IEEE Computer
Society

Proceedings Publisher
IEEE Computer Society Press

COMMITTEES
General Chairs

* Ignacio Aedo. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
* Eduardo Mora. Universidad de Cantabria.

Program Chairs

* Paloma D�az. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
* Kinshuk. Athabasca University.

Advisory Committee

* Darina Dicheva. Winston-Salem State University.
* Roger Hartley. University of Leeds.
* Rob Koper. Open University of the Netherlands.
* Toshio Okamoto. University of Electro-Communications.
* Demetrios Sampson.Center of Research and Technology Hellas and
University of Pireus.
* Nian Shing. National Sun Yat-sen University.
* J. Michael Spector. Florida State University.

Program Committee

tbd

Local Committee

* Laura Bravo. Universidad de Cantabria. (Local Chair)
* David D�ez. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
* Juan Manuel Dodero. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. (Local
Chair)
* Tom�s Fern�ndez. Universidad de Cantabria.
* Camino Fern�ndez. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
* Carmen Padr�n. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
* Telmo Zarraonandia. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

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LIBRARIES IN THE DIGITAL AGE (LIDA) 2008

Posted on December 2, 2007 | Leave a comment

ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

Annual International Course and Conference

LIBRARIES IN THE DIGITAL AGE (LIDA) 2008

Dubrovnik and Mljet, Croatia

2-7 June 2008

Inter-University Centre (http://www.iuc.hr/ )

Don Ivana Bulica 4, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia, and

Hotel Odisej, island Mljet, Pomena, Croatia (http://www.hotelodisej.hr)

Web site: http://www.ffos.hr/lida/

Email: lida@ffos.hr

The annual international conference and course Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) addresses the changing and challenging environment for libraries and information systems and services in the digital world. Since its inception in 2000, LIDA has emphasized the examination of contemporary problems, intriguing advances, innovative approaches and solutions. Each year a different and ‘hot’ theme is addressed, divided in two parts; the first part covers research and development and the second part addresses advances in applications and practice. LIDA brings together researchers, educators, practitioners, and developers from all over the world in a forum for personal exchanges, discussions, and learning, made easier by being held in memorable locations.

Deadlines:

For papers and workshops: 15 January 2008. Acceptance by 15 February 2008.

For demonstrations and posters: 1 February 2008. Acceptance by 1 March 2008.

Final submission for all accepted papers and posters: 15 March 2008.

Themes LIDA 2008

Part I: Education and training in digital libraries

In a relatively short period of time, spanning less than two decades or so, digital libraries became a global phenomenon, characterized by an accelerated, explosive growth. Digital libraries are a subject of great many activities worldwide. These include diverse practical applications, research and development (R&D) on many fronts, continuing innovation, policy formulations, management changes, and more. A number of fields are involved, among the most prominent being information science, librarianship, and computer science.

Considerable and rapidly growing amounts of funds are spent on practical applications in building and operating a variety of digital library collections, components and service and on R&D in digital libraries. Many commercial enterprises are providing digital resources and software for digital libraries. This all creates demands for well educated and trained professionals in these areas.

However, the education and training for digital libraries is most often based on apprentiship and practical courses and conferences without receiving the same attention (and resources) of digital libraries applications and other areas mentioned. A number of institutions are teaching digital libraries modules and courses, or beginning to, and struggling with this relatively new and volatile educational area. Many practitioners are finding it hard to learn more and to keep up.

The goal of the first part of LIDA 2008 is to explore efforts, concepts and ideas related to education and training of professionals, dealing with the academic quality standards and practical training requirements for digital libraries and in variety of fields and contexts related to knowledge, values and skills needed for digital librarians. The general aim is to help further development of current efforts, as well as development of frameworks within which diverse efforts could be compared, evaluated, and improved.

Contributions are invited covering the following topics (types described below):

knowledge, values and skills of the digital librarian to be reflected in educational offerings
conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches to digital library education
instructional design, development, and evaluation of programs of study and specialization for digital librarians in a variety of schools and on different levels – existing and proposed
convergence and place of digital library education in broader curricula of library and information science, computer science, and other fields; impact of digital library education on other parts of the curriculum
examples of good practices of specific courses (or sequence of courses)and programs related to various aspects of digital libraries and digital library technology; examples of various modes of delivery
continuing education and training in digital libraries oriented toward practicing professionals
student evaluation of digital library education, as well as expectations and perceptions of professionals in continuing education courses and efforts
international aspects and cooperative opportunities in digital library education
banchmarking and evaluation of educational and training programs in digital libraries
cultural and social elements in digital library education.

Part II: Reference in digital environments

As access to electronic information through library Web pages has proliferated in recent years, an increasing number of libraries have added digital reference assistance to their list of user services. E-mail reference has become an expected venue for asking reference questions, having been included among the suite of information services for over 20 years. Live chat reference services are relatively new-comers, but have already been successfully operating for over 10 years. Information seekers are increasingly turning to virtual reference (also known as digital reference) for the anonymity and convenience of remote access and for the extended hours of operation, since many services operate 24/7/365. An increasing number of libraries and information centers are now experimenting with Instant Messaging, Text Messaging (SMS), and other emerging modes for offering reference services to increasingly tech savvy library users. Web 2.0 applications are opening new vistas for digital library services including reference blogs and wikis. Digital reference desks are appearing in virtual worlds such as Second Life. Although the proliferation of these alternative methods for service delivery highlights the need for research focused on understanding users and staff behavior and impact on issues of satisfaction and success, their assessment poses new challenges for researchers.

The goal of the second part of LIDA 2008 is to explore the totality of the virtual reference environment (including live chat, e-mail, IM, and Web 2.0 reference initiatives) and its relationship to digital libraries. Special attention will be on the evaluation of virtual reference services from a variety of research perspectives and approaches. The general aim is to concentrate on scholarship that increases our understanding of the needs, interests, and experiences of users as well as librarians/information providers in the context of virtual reference.

Invited are contributions (types described below) covering the following topics:

evaluation of various modes of digital library services
application of theories and models in study of users and use of virtual reference
application of theories and user information needs assessments for design and development of digital reference systems
assessment of the decision making process for users who choose virtual reference over other modes (e.g., face-to-face, phone)
advantages and disadvantages of different virtual reference modes
the role of knowledge databases in digital reference
sustainability and cost-effectiveness of virtual reference services
evaluation of virtual reference consortia and comparison of service models
benchmarking service quality and development of evaluation standards in virtual reference
evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of different virtual reference modes
assessment of the quality of interpersonal communication in virtual reference
studies of accuracy and efficiency in virtual reference
explorations of question negotiation in virtual environments
issues in archiving digital reference questions.

Types of contributions

Invited are the following types of contributions:

Papers: research studies and reports on practices and advances that will be presented at the conference and included on the conference Web site. Papers of up to 4000 words in length should be submitted, following the American Psychological Association (APA) style, followed, among others, by the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (JASIST) and Information Processing & Management (IP&M). The papers will be refereed. All accepted contributions will be published in on-line proceedings, as well as provided in the conference kit.
Posters: short graphic presentations on research, studies, advances, examples, practices, or preliminary work that will be presented in a special poster session. Awards will be given for Best Poster and Best Student Poster. Proposals for posters should be submitted as a short, one or two- page paper.
Demonstrations: live examples of working projects, services, interfaces, commercial products, or developments-in-progress that will be presented during the conference in specialized facilities or presented in special demonstration sessions. These should involve some aspect of users and use. Proposals for demonstration should provide short description and a URL address, if available.
Workshops: two to four-hour sessions that will be tutorial and educational in nature. Workshops will be presented before and after the main part of the conference and will require separate fees, to be shared with workshop organizers. Proposals for workshops should include a short description, with indication of level and potential audience.
PhD Forum: short presentations by PhD students, particularly as related to their dissertation, in a session organized by the European Chapter of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (EC/ASIST); help and responses by a panel of educators.

Submissions should be sent in electronic format (as an email attachment) to Prof. Tatjana Aparac at taparac@ffos.hr. Inquires can also be addressed to the Co-Chair of the conference Prof. Tefko Saracevic and Program Chairs (for Part I Prof. Jeffrey Pomerantz and Prof. Anna Maria Tammaro

. and for Part II Prof. Marie L. Radford). Full contact information is provided below. All submissions will be refereed.

Deadlines:

For papers and workshops: 15 January 2008. Acceptance by 15 February 2008.

For demonstrations and posters: 1 February 2008. Acceptance by 1 March 2008.

Final submission for all accepted papers and posters: 15 March 2008.

Invitation to institutions

We are inviting libraries, information agencies, professional organizations, publishers, and service providers to consider participation at LIDA by providing a demonstration, workshop, or exhibit about their products, services or advances, or by presenting a paper or poster about their activities, as related to themes. Sponsorship of an event is also invited. Institutions can benefit as well: we will provide course materials to participants so that they can communicate and transfer topics of interest to their institution. Thus, we are organizing LIDA to reach a wider audience.

Conference contact information

Course co-directors:

TATJANA APARAC-JELUSIC, Ph.D.

Department of Information Sciences

Faculty of Philosophy; J.J. Strossmayer University

31000 Osijek, Croatia

taparac@ffos.hr

(contact for general correspondence)
TEFKO SARACEVIC, Ph.D.

School of Communication, Information and Library Studies; Rutgers University

New Brunswick, NJ, 08901 USA

tefko@scils.rutgers.edu

Program chairs:

For Part I:

JEFFREY POMERANTZ, Ph.D.

School of Information and Library Science

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360, USA

pomerantz@unc.edu

and

ANNA MARIA TAMMARO

Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dello Spettacolo

Sezione di Beni Librari

University of Parma

43100 Parma, Italy

annamaria.tammaro@unipr.it
For Part II:

MARIE L. RADFORD, Ph.D.

School of Communication, Information and Library Studies; Rutgers University

New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

mradford@scils.rutgers.edu

Organizing chairs:

Organizing committee:

MAJA KRTALIC

Department of Information Sciences

Faculty of Philosophy; J.J. Strossmayer University

31000 Osijek, Croatia

mcujic@ffos.hr
Local organizing committee:

MARICA SAPRO FICOVIC

Dubrovnik Libraries

20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia

msapro@dkd.hr

Venues

The first part of LIDA 2008 will be held in Dubrovnik and for the second part the conference will move to island Mljet, less than a two-hour ride from Dubrovnik on a fast catamaran. Pre-conference workshops are planned for 26 May 2008 in Dubrovnik and post-conference workshops for 31 May 2008 on Mljet.

Dubrovnik, Croatia is recognized as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites by UNESCO. It is a walled city, preserved as it existed in medieval times. A beautiful natural location on the Adriatic Sea, a lavish architecture of squares, palaces, and churches, small, intriguing hill-hugging streets, pedestrian-only traffic within the walls, outings to the enchanting near-by islands – all these and more combine to make Dubrovnik one of the most popular destinations in Europe. For Croatia see http://www.croatia.hr/ and for Dubrovnik at http://www.dubrovnik-online.com/

Mljet is one of the most enchanting islands in the Adriatic, a sea that abounds with beautiful islands to start with. Hotel Odisej (http://www.hotelodisej.hr) is in a small harbor. Near the hotel is the entrance to Mljet National Park (http://www.np-mljet.hr/) with lush vegetation surrounding three inland lakes, a small island with a monastery in the middle lake, paths for walking, and spots for swimming in the blue and green sea..

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The Culture of Print in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM)

Posted on December 2, 2007 | Leave a comment

Here is the final call for papers for the Print Culture/STEM Conference to be held in Madison, Wisconsin, 12-13 September, 2008. Information about registration and accommodation will be posted in March at the website of the Center for the History of Print Culture in Modern America, at http://slisweb.lis.wisc.edu/~printcul/

Please distribute widely, and apologies for cross-posting.

The Culture of Print in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM)

The Center for the History of Print Culture in Modern America

Madison, Wisconsin

September 12-13, 2008

The conference will include papers focusing on the dynamic intersection of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine (STEM) and print culture. Papers might address ways in which STEM—its histories and materials, its theories and practices, its economics, and its practitioners—affects or is affected by print culture. These approaches might include: innovations in the production and circulation of print; patterns of authorship and reading; publication, and dissemination of knowledge in the history of STEM. Alternatively, taking the various theories and methodologies that have grown out of half-a-century of historical and social studies of STEM, papers could investigate the social construction of STEM knowledge through print; technologies of experimentation and inscription as a print culture of the laboratory; and the social networks of readership in the production of scientific consensus or conflict. Though our emphasis is on the United States scene, we welcome submissions from other areas of the globe as well.

The keynote speaker will be Professor James A. Secord, of Cambridge University, Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project, and author of many publications, including the award-winning Victorian Sensation: The Extraordinary Publication, Reception and Secret Authorship of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation, (University of Chicago Press, 2000).

Proposals for individual papers or complete sessions (up to three papers) should include a 250-word abstract and a one-page c.v. for each presenter. If possible, submissions should be made via email. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2008. Notifications of acceptance will be made by early March.

As with previous conferences, we anticipate producing a volume of papers from the conference for publication in a volume in the Center’s series, “Print Culture History in Modern America,” published by the University of Wisconsin Press. A list of books the Center has produced, available on the Center’s website (http://slisweb.lis.wisc.edu/~printcul/), offers a guide to prospective authors.

For information, contact:
Christine Pawley, Director,
Center for the History of Print Culture
4234 Helen C. White Hall, 600 N. Park St.
Madison, WI 53706 phone: 608 263-2945/608 263-2900
fax: (608) 263-4849
email: cpawley@wisc.edu

Co-sponsors: Brittinham Fund, School of Library and Information Studies, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies, the University of Wisconsin Libraries, the departments of Curriculum and Instruction, English, the History of Science, the History of Medicine and Bioethics, and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

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