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INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
LIBRARIES AS LEADERS IN COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DATES: Tuesday, June 16 & Wednesday, June 17, 1998. (Pre-conference to the
annual conference of the Canadian Library Association)
LOCATION: The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Presented by: ASM Advanced Strategic Management Consultants
Sponsors: Industry Canada
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
(IFLA)/Universal Availability of Publications (UAP), British Library, Boston
Spa, UK
Supporting Organizations:
Canadian Library Association
National Library of Canada
CONFERENCE THEME: Strategies for Leadership Roles for Libraries
as Community Economic Development Engines.
CONFERENCE GOAL: To initiate the development of a set of specific
strategies for community economic development leadership roles for
libraries.
LIBRARIES AS LEADERS IN COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT will invite and
feature representative speakers and participants from a number of countries
including the United Kingdom, Australia, The United States, the Scandinavian
countries, Ireland and Canada.
A wide variety of delegates is expected, and the conference will be of
particular importance and interest to:
Librarians and Library Trustees
Community Economic Development Executives and Planners
Elected Municipal Officials
Municipal Executives
Community Networks Representatives
Community Access Program Coordinators
Federal and Provincial Policy Makers
WHY A CONFERENCE ON LIBRARIES AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?
As society continues to move toward privatization and the
commodification of information, libraries run the risk of being considered
anachronistic. The transmission, delivery and access of information is
essential in a learning and knowledge based society, and libraries must be
capable of repositioning themselves to be ready to participate in these new
developments and new opportunities.
The `new' economy is dependent on the ability to apply information and
knowledge to existing resource and manufacturing industries, and/or to
develop new products and services. Therefore the flow and accessibility of
information is essential. Libraries, serving as one of the basic building
blocks of the local information and knowledge infrastructure, have an
important role to play in support of knowledge-based economic development.
In any community, that role is best achieved through active, mutually
beneficial agreements, collaborations and partnerships. The library,
therefore, should work with individuals, organizations, small business and
all municipal economic development initiatives in order to foster
knowledge-based local economic development.
Few libraries have been directly involved in community economic
development. While some university, college and special libraries do have
some experience, others have not had the occasion or the opportunity to
develop appropriate management approaches and staff skill sets to function
effectively as partners, collaborators, or, more importantly, leaders.
Industry Canada's Community Access Program (CAP) has been an important
catalyst in involving public libraries in community economic development.
Nonetheless, in communities where the library is involved in the CAP
program, the role of the library as it relates to community economic
development is acknowledged, but not always understood.
Currently, there exists no defined model or set of strategies to assist
libraries to take on a more direct and even aggressive role in community
economic development. This conference, LIBRARIES AS LEADERS IN COMMUNITY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, will have as its primary product the development of a
set of strategies, useable models and skillsets/competencies for libraries
to follow in order to become actively involved in local economic
development. This resource will be of great use to all publicly-funded
libraries in Canada, and internationally.
CONFERENCE TOPICS
ASM Advanced Strategic Management Consultants, a firm with more than five
years direct experience in bringing libraries and the local economy
together, has developed the following list of potential conference session
topics. This list includes some of the topics to be addressed at the conference.
* An introduction to the issue of local economic development and the
critical factors involved in encouraging it;
* What Works: Local stories of successful community-based economic
development and the role of the library, based on models and experiences
from the Community Access Program, including pilot projects such as the
Mbanx pilot project.
* How-To: Library-based business and career/job information services.
* Rationale: The benefits of library involvement in economic development.
* Strategies for libraries for effective participation in community
economic development.
* Working Partnerships: Community access, networking and local economic
development.
* Talking Business: Libraries as venture incubators.
* Strategy Development: Conducted by means of 'break-out' working sessions
in which the participants will develop sets of relevant, practical
strategies for involving libraries in community economic development activities.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Stan Skrzeszewski, Principal
ASM Advanced Strategic Management Consultants
411 Rippleton Place
London, Ontario, Canada N6G 1L4
Tel: 519-473-7651; Fax: 519-471-9945
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Maureen Cubberley, Principal
ASM Advanced Strategic Management Consultants
2182 Chetwynd Road
R.R. #2
Burk's Falls, Ontario, Canada P0A 1C0
Tel: 705-382-3841; Fax: 705-382-1056
E-Mail: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
ASM's Web Site: http://www.asm-consultants.com
Stan Skrzeszewski
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