2013-2014
News Release
REF NO.: 13
SUBJECT: Memorial University hosting 2013 Access Conference
DATE: September 24, 2013
Memorial University is hosting the 2013 Access Conference – Canada’s only library technology conference.
Librarians, technicians, developers and programmers from across North America are in St. John’s to discuss cutting-edge library information technologies (IT).
“This conference is really a product of passion,” said Krista Godfrey, conference organizer and Queen Elizabeth II Library’s web services librarian. “In recent years, it hasn’t been tied with any particular association and so it really is up to the enthusiasm and drive of the library IT community to keep it moving forward and addressing relevant issues.”
It is fitting that Memorial is hosting the 20th anniversary conference; it held the first conference in 1994 and was instrumental in its creation. In the 20 years that have passed, libraries are relying more on information technologies than ever before in their history.
“When the conference first started, we were only just starting to see this move and taking appropriate steps. Now, most of our resources are online and libraries are digitizing their unique collections. We face a new set of issues,
supporting multiple platforms and systems and looking to future solutions such as open access and scholarly communication initiatives,” said Ms. Godfrey.
The conference is providing some unique opportunities like hackfest, which offers library IT professionals a forum to work together during a short period of time to develop valuable applications to address current IT issues that libraries face.
For Slavko Manojlovich, Memorial University’s associate university librarian of information technology, hosting the event provides an interesting perspective in terms of witnessing the many changes of the library IT landscape.
“It really is an honour for us to be hosting the conference again after 20 years,” he said. “Technology is changing the way the future looks for academic libraries, and in order to adapt and evolve, we need to be part of the innovative solutions and share ideas. All these efforts will translate into better service for our many users.”
The conference runs Sept. 23-26. For more information, visit www.accessconference.ca.
REF NO.: 13
SUBJECT: Memorial University hosting 2013 Access Conference
DATE: September 24, 2013
Memorial University is hosting the 2013 Access Conference – Canada’s only library technology conference.
Librarians, technicians, developers and programmers from across North America are in St. John’s to discuss cutting-edge library information technologies (IT).
“This conference is really a product of passion,” said Krista Godfrey, conference organizer and Queen Elizabeth II Library’s web services librarian. “In recent years, it hasn’t been tied with any particular association and so it really is up to the enthusiasm and drive of the library IT community to keep it moving forward and addressing relevant issues.”
It is fitting that Memorial is hosting the 20th anniversary conference; it held the first conference in 1994 and was instrumental in its creation. In the 20 years that have passed, libraries are relying more on information technologies than ever before in their history.
“When the conference first started, we were only just starting to see this move and taking appropriate steps. Now, most of our resources are online and libraries are digitizing their unique collections. We face a new set of issues,
supporting multiple platforms and systems and looking to future solutions such as open access and scholarly communication initiatives,” said Ms. Godfrey.
The conference is providing some unique opportunities like hackfest, which offers library IT professionals a forum to work together during a short period of time to develop valuable applications to address current IT issues that libraries face.
For Slavko Manojlovich, Memorial University’s associate university librarian of information technology, hosting the event provides an interesting perspective in terms of witnessing the many changes of the library IT landscape.
“It really is an honour for us to be hosting the conference again after 20 years,” he said. “Technology is changing the way the future looks for academic libraries, and in order to adapt and evolve, we need to be part of the innovative solutions and share ideas. All these efforts will translate into better service for our many users.”
The conference runs Sept. 23-26. For more information, visit www.accessconference.ca.
- 30 -