ABSTRACT

Speaker: Brian Cantwell Smith

TITLE: Leadership in the Information Age : Who Should Teach Whom What?

Just about everything we do is information-intensive. Information-intensive practices are being transformed by relentless technological developments (especially computing, communication, and biotechnology). For a while, our vision was transfixed by these new technologies. As they grow more prevalent, though, we can return our imagination back to our original subject matter: the stewardship of society's documentary records and cultural collections.

How can we train a new generation of leaders of public and academic memory institutions? Whom should we teach? What should we teach them? How should we think about the convergence of libraries, archives, and museums? What kinds of student should we recruit? What kinds of graduate should we produce? What processes should we engage in, to think these things through? How can we be sure to honour tradition, adopt to what is novel, and "raise the bar" on technological prowess, while retaining commitment to public stewardship of our cultural heritage?