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Vol. 20 No. 5 — May 2003

Internet Librarian is returning to the Monterey (Calif.) Conference Center from Nov. 3—5. Monterey is a well-liked location, and after 2 years in southern California, the event's attendees, exhibitors, speakers, and staff are looking forward to going back.

Program chair Jane Dysart is hard at work planning another excellent Internet Librarian lineup. It's early now, but watch this column for a preview of keynote speakers and other special events. The call for proposals deadline was April 25, but if you have a good, late-breaking idea, the proposal form is still on the Web site (https://www.infotoday.com/il2003). Or you can send Dysart an e-mail at jane@dysartjones.com. Workshops are scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2, so you can travel on Saturday, save money, and make the extra day in Monterey worthwhile. Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, and the Monterey Aquarium are nearby attractions. In addition, good, inexpensive restaurants are within a short walk of the conference center.

What distinguishes Internet Librarian from other Information Today, Inc. (ITI) events? In some ways, Internet Librarian is the West Coast "mirror" of the popular Computers in Libraries conference. But in true California style, Internet Librarian pushes the envelope on new trends, technologies, and developments for librarians who are putting the Internet to work in many ways. Dysart says this year's program will focus on "Cool Tools for Internet Content Pros" in all kinds of libraries.

Watch for a registration form and the workshop schedule to be posted online sometime in June. The conference program will be available in early July. Plan to join us in Monterey!

KMWorld & Intranets 2003

ITI's other big fall conference is really two conferences in one. The co-located KMWorld & Intranets events will be held Oct. 14—16 at the Santa Clara (Calif.) Convention Center. Last year was the first time these conferences were combined. The synergy worked well, and many attendees purchased Gold Passes that allowed them to go to sessions at both. This year's program will further develop that synergy by adding a shared track on content management, a core interest for knowledge management, intranet, and portal professionals.

KMWorld's program chairs are Dysart and KMWorld magazine editor Hugh McKellar. Howard McQueen, Darlene Fichter, and I are chairing the Intranets conference, our fifth year of working together on this event. Like Internet Librarian, the planning is in the early stages, but we have received more than 300 proposals and suggestions for topics. Watch this column and the Web site (http://www.kmworld-intranets.com) for more news and developments.

Spring Events

ITI's spring conferences wrap up May 6—8 with InfoToday 2003. (It's not too late to attend, so maybe we'll see you in New York.) It's been a busy few months. Here's what happened.

Computers in Libraries was held March 12—14 in Washington, D.C., just before the war in Iraq began. But despite war protests and fears, attendance was nearly the same as last year's record high, and the buzz and excitement around the conference floor and in the sessions were contagious. Keynote speaker Jayne Hitchcock, author of Net Crimes and Misdemeanors, was a huge hit as she talked about her experiences with a cyberstalker and identity theft. Greg Notess packed a large ballroom for his popular "Search Engine Showdown" presentation. In addition, sessions on wireless in libraries, security, and portals were all well-received. For many of the working librarians and staff in attendance, Computers in Libraries is the conference of the year. Judging by the evaluations, it met or exceeded their expectations.

Internet Librarian International convened March 25—27 in Birmingham, U.K. Delegates were delightfully surprised by blue skies, daffodils, and beautiful spring weather at this new conference location in the U.K.'s second-largest city. Like Computers in Libraries, the attendance was nearly the same as last year's and included representatives from 32 countries, such as Nepal, Saudi Arabia, and the Czech Republic. As expected, the U.S. Web search experts were especially popular, but sessions on Web design and technology, digital libraries, and information literacy were equally well-attended by a very intent and focused audience.After-hours, some delegates explored Birmingham, others found good English pubs or restaurants, and a few hung out in a hotel lobby bar that featured Wi-Fi Internet connections.

Buying & Selling eContent, the executive conference that ITI co-produces with Outsell, Inc., was held April 13—15 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The blooming cactuses, 80-degree temperatures, and view of Camelback Mountain created a perfect setting for the outdoor receptions, lunches, and dinners. Even the roundtable discussion groups were held alfresco. Serious networking was the top priority for many attendees, but the conference program and audience/panel discussions were equally valuable and thought-provoking. Consultant, researcher, and author Larry Prusak challenged delegates to harness the power of new ideas in his keynote. In addition, the popular CEO panel (Clare Hart of Factiva, Stuart Clark of Interactive Data Corp., Roger Krakoff of the Jordan Edmiston Group, and Bob Carlson of IBM WebFountain) kept people in their seats until the very end of the conference.

There you have a quick insider's report on the recent ITI conferences. For more, in-depth coverage of Computers in Libraries and Internet Librarian International, see page 1.