Conference Abstracts
Keynote speaker
Kristina Höök
Abstract
A mobile service is often a portable window to some remote content, for instance e-mail or web pages. As networking becomes an integral part of mobile devices, we will see many more services that are based on always-on connectivity, where locally stored content and on-line activities mix.
This is just the start. The next step in this evolution is truly mobile services that exploit intrinsic properties of mobility, for instance access variability, ad-hoc meetings with other devices, context awareness, access to information dependent on geographical location, and positioning relative to other users or resources. We also note that users bodies becomes a more important interaction arena as we cannot rely on mouse and keyboard and users' undivided attention.
This new space, a mixture of the real and the digital allow for many different kinds of social and information services: we can share photos and music on the spot, leave digital notes behind, play games that involves people and places here and now -- a Mobile 2.0 setting. Bodily interactions using gestures or picking up on users' activities through sensor-readings off their bodies can be used for many different applications, such as sports, affective interaction and similar.
In this talk, I will show a range of example mobile services developed by the Mobile Life team (mine, Lars Erik Holmquist, Oskar Juhlin, and Annika Waern's research groups) that illustrates these newly emerging possibilities.
Biographical notes
Kristina Höök is the lab manager of the interaction lab at SICS. She also upholds a position as Professor in Human-Machine Interaction at Department of Computer and Systems Sciences that belongs both to Stockholm University and Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Keynote speaker
Jakob Harnesk
Harnesk information
Lund
Sweden
Why not let the users run the library? An overview of Library 2.0 experiments
Abstract
The Library 2.0 movement is quickly evolving and growing, world-wide. Based on Web 2.0, it can be described as web-based applications, with common features such as:
- user involvement and heavy user participation
- social computing
- user devotion
- social mark-up and meta tagging
The blogosphere, Wikipedia, Ajax, Flickr, del.icio.us, are examples of Web 2.0 applications.
Some early attempts to definitions of Library 2.0 mention words like ‘revolutionary’, ‘post-google’, ‘a new paradigm’, etc. The communication between the library and its users will work in both directions, not just one-way.
What happens when libraries let the users in, not only as users, but also as service builders and providers? What are the benefits- and risks? How do users react – and staff?
The presentation will aim at giving a broad overview of various Library 2.0 experiments taking place today. Live examples of Library 2.0 applications will be presented.
Biographical notes
Jakob Harnesk is a library and informations consultant, with more than 20 years experience from the library field. He is also a free-lance journalist, writing regularly for the Swedish library journal Biblioteksbladet. Previous positions have been at The Royal Library, The Karolinska University Library and Bibliotekstjänst. He is the current editor of the electronic newsletter InfoBrief, which is distributed to the members of The Swedish Association of Information Specialists (SFIS).
Other speakers
Johanna Gunnlaugsdottir, PhD
Department of Library and Information Sciences
Faculty of Social Sciences
University of Iceland
Oddi v/Sturlugata
101 Reykjavik
Iceland
Working with ERMS: Employees' Experience of Electronic Records Management Systems
Abstract
A research has been undertaken regarding the implementation and use of ERMS in a number of Icelandic organizations. One of the aims of the study was to contribute new and valid knowledge on how employees felt about working with ERMS. A qualitative research methodology was chosen for the study: interviews and participant observations. The study discovered:
A strong relationship between the most important input factors in the implementation and the outcomes that they influenced, the level of use being the most important.
A relationship between the implementation and the user-friendliness of ERMS.
The substitutes that employees used when they did not find ERMS user-friendly.
No insecurity in computer use or that employees might have been afraid to use ERMS.
No objection by employees that their work in ERMS was being monitored or observed by others. Employees seemed to regard this more as a management function and a part of the groupware features. This is a situation far from the surveillance society that George Orwell predicted and the electronic performance monitoring (EPM) that is of concern to many observers of the office scene today.
The presentation discusses these themes in more detail.
Biographical notes
Gunnlaugsdottir is an Associate Professor at the University of Iceland. Her main field of teaching and research is in records and information management (RIM), knowledge management (KM) and total quality management (TQM). Her research field also includes classification and classification theory.
Gunnlaugsdottir has founded a consulting company on RIM, Gangskor sf., and has since then been working for more than 100 organizations in Iceland. She has also held seminars and given lectures on RIM, KM and TQM for various institutions and associations, both in Iceland and abroad, as well as put on presentations at international conferences. She has written articles on RIM, TQM and KM which have been published in Icelandic and foreign journals.
Catharina Rehn Ulf Kronman
Karolinska Institutet University Library Karolinska Institutet University Library
Stockholm Stockholm
Bibliometrics Moving from Research to Toolbox
Abstract
Today, researchers are frequently being assessed by using bibliometric
performance indicators as a tool. Karolinska Institutet has studied the
possible use of data from Thomson ISI to analyze its research publications
since 2002. In 2005 a bibliometric pilot study was performed in cooperation
with the Swedish Research Council and in late 2005 the management of
Karolinska Institutet decided that bibliometrics will be used as a tool in
the ambition to become the leading medical university in Europe by 2010.
This led to the formation of the project Karolinska Institutet Bibliometrics
in the beginning of 2006.
At this mini-seminar, bibliometrician Catharina Rehn and project manager Ulf
Kronman from the Karolinska Institutet Bibliometrics project describe the
process of putting a still quickly developing research area such as
bibliometrics into practice as a research assessment tool. This will include
explaining the most commonly used ways of calculating second generation
bibliometric indicators, point out ambiguities regarding data selection and
methods, and discuss issues as verification of authors, removal of
self-citations and usage of fractionalization of publication and citation
counts.
The workshop will conclude with a discussion regarding the need for a
"standardization" of a common set of bibliometric indicators and their
calculation, if we are going to use bibliometrics as a tool for research
assessment and university management in the future.
Biographical notes
Catharina Rehn has been an employee of the Karolinska Institutet University library since 1999 and is at present working in one of the teams for customer relations. When in charge of a Karolinska Institutet university library project on text mining she got into contact with bibliometrics and information visualization and is now a bibliometric analyst in the
Karolinska Institutet Bibliometrics project.
Ulf Kronman has been working with electronic publishing and web development at the Karolinska Institutet University Library for 18 years. In 2005 he became the manager of the Karolinska Institutet Bibliometrics project and has lead the project group while creating a bibliometric system covering 14.5 million records of the worlds' scientific article production for the years 1995 through 2006. As from the spring 2007 he is working as a project manager for the area of scientific publications analysis at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Bonnie Osif
Engineering Reference and Instruction Librarian
325 Hammond
University Park, PA 16802
USA
Concept maps as World Wide Web Organizers
Abstract
Concept maps provide a graphical presentation of information that is depicted in a logical, hierarchical arrangement. A concept or subject is divided from the more general to increasingly specific topics. There is more than one correct way to create a concept map. As long as there are no factual errors, the concept map is correct. So, for example, for a library home page, the map could be organized around format of material (journals, books, reports, maps, etc.) or research need (paper development, reference question, information about the library itself, etc.). Concept maps visually show the site organization and “logic” and put web resources only a few clicks away from the needed information because the searcher has more access points in a more sophisticated arrangement. This project is a work in progress.
Biographical notes
Bonnie Osif is the engineering reference and instruction librarian at The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Osif’s research interests are transportation information and instructional methodologies. She is the co-author of TMI 25 Years Later and editor of Using the Engineering Literature.
Lars Klasén
InfoTorg AB
SE-113 90 Stockholm
Sweden
Abstract
Online information and searching has a key role in the society of today. This is, however, not mirrored in the revenues of the online information market, reaching just one or two percent of what is spent on IT. As a matter of fact, this market has always been more dependent of and controlled by advances in IT than by “real” demands. In the past, the result was a rapid but fragmented growth of databases and online services. In the Web era, the result is numerous Web sites, immense quantities of information and large search engines. Lack of coordination as regards coverage and structuring of information is notorious. The paper presents an overview of the Swedish, Nordic and international online market during three decades, discussing the role of IT in its development, including past and current issues as Web 2.0, Open Access and large search engines.
Biographical notes
Lars Klasén, ME, Information Specialist, is an expert within online and IR. He began his career in 1976 as an online searcher at the Information and Documentation Centre, Royal Institute of Technology Library, Stockholm. In 1982, he was engaged in the launch of the information broker SVP/Interfact. In 1983, he was employed by DAFA, later Infodata AB, where he initiated InfoTorg, Swedens largest online service. He now coordinates the further development of InfoTorg, which since 2005 is operated by InfoTorg AB, a company within Bisnode, Europe’s leading publishing house in digital business information. Since 1980, Lars has accomplished studies of and published reports, articles and newsletters on the Swedish online market.
Mika Waris
Director, Marketing and Business Services
National Board of Patents and Registration in Finland
Arkadiankatu 6 A
00100 Helsinki
Finland
From Creativity to Business: IdeaPilot in a nutshell
Abstract
More than 80 % of the value creation of the companies is based on intellectual capital. However, the instruments concerning this capital are poorly utilized. This concerns especially the protection of intellectual property and usage of the existing technical knowledge, and especially among the SMEs. The poor usage of IP-system creates problems in R&D as well as in marketing and other areas of business.
National Board of Patents and Registration is running a project called IdeaPilot which is aiming to create good, customer oriented practices for SMEs for utilizing the services of the IP-system. By using these practices SMEs can employ existing information and different forms of protection to boost the commercialisation of their ideas.
The core objectives of the project is to bring the companies
- To use the existing technical and competitor information as a part of normal R&D
- To use systematic protection as a an everyday business tool of intellectual capital, and
- To make conscious and foreseen infringement strategy to a part of business planning, especially in internationalizing companies
The organizations and partners cooperating in the project are the actors of Finnish innovation system as well as the associations for SMEs.
Biographical notes
Mka Waris holds a M.Sc. Economics and Business Admin. at Helsinki School of Economics.
The main point of view in his mission is the competitiveness of Finnish SMEs and the social and economic influence of National Board of Patents and Registration in Finland. The core areas of his sphere of operations are networking, development of business processes and leading development projects, customer service and co-operation with public sector and business management, experts and end-users. The focus areas are IPRs and patent information in product development and marketing.
Also the extensive knowledge of data processing and its role in business, development and utilizing of business applications and project management are fields of his best know-how. Working in a close relation with interest groups related to SMEs, in a nationwide and international scale, he also have a comprehensive way of thinking of the success factors of the co-operation of private and public sector.
Lotta Haglund
Karolinska Institutet University Library
The impact on university libraries of changes in information behavior among academic researchers
Abstract
University libraries are dedicated to what they perceive as the needs of the researchers at the university. In reality very little is known about the needs of the individual researcher. To be able to further develop the functions of the university libraries, it is necessary to be attentive to the changing needs and methods of work of researchers; otherwise university libraries cannot contribute to the competitiveness of its university’s research.
In 2005/2006 three academic libraries in Stockholm (the University Library at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University Library and the Library at the Royal Institute of Technology) embarked on a project, using the method of participant observation, looking at the everyday work of young researchers, from the perspective of seeking scientific information.
The observations revealed invaluable information about the working conditions and the information seeking habits of the researchers, which will influence changes in library services in the future.
Biographical notes
Lotta Haglund has worked as Head of Information and Public Relations at Karolinska Institutet University Library since 2000. Her main interests are library marketing, management, professional development and evidence based library and information practice.
Patrik Svensson
Director of HUMlab, Umeå university
Sweden
Co-creating Content: Participatory Culture, Web 2.0 and Digital Mashups
Abstract
In this talk, I will examine and exemplify the ideas of participatory culture and co-created content in relation to new media. There is a growing literature on these topics, and also a number of best-practice examples. I will partly draw on the work carried out in HUMlab at Umeå University, a high-profile meeting place for the humanities information technology. Examples from HUMlab include a collaborative blog opera project and the EU project QVIZ, Query and context based visualization of time-spatial cultural dynamics, in which collaborative systems are being built for the cultural heritage sector. Throughout, the participatory user will be in focus, as well as critical perspectives on the hype associated with these technologies and ideas.
Biographical notes
Patrik Svensson is the director of HUMlab which is an exciting meeting place for the humanities, art, culture and new technology at Umeå University. His research focuses on digital humanities, mediated communication and educational technology. He is the project leader of several large projects including a digital cultural heritage project financed by EU:s sixth framework, and he has just finished two books on language education and information technology.
http://www.humlab.umu.se/patrik
http://blog.humlab.umu.se/
Glenn Haya Else Nygren
Metalib and Google Scholar from the students' perspective
Abstract
We will present results from a user study in which 32 undergraduate students searched for material for their thesis using Google Scholar and Metalib. Half of the subjects received training prior to using the tools. Results consist of answers to a questionnaire, analyses of amount and type of documents found, and time spent on different search activities. The study concludes that overall, students were not very satisfied with either tool. However, Google Scholar performed relatively better in almost all measurements. Results for both tools were improved by instruction in terms of number of documents saved (Metalib, Google Scholar) and higher percentage of peer reviewed document saved (Google Scholar). In addition to the study results, we will discuss if and how Metalib and Google Scholar have improved since our user study was completed in August, 2006.
Biographical notes
Glenn Haya works as a librarian in the e-resources department of the Stockholm University Library.
Else Nygren is an associate professor at the department of Information science at Uppsala university. Her research in human-computer interaction is about user behavior on the internet. She has done several user studies focusing on library systems.
Monica Berneström
Stockholm city museum
Sweden
Digital Guide – New Solutions for Museums
Abstract
If considering a city museum a hub of knowledge, the city itself actually becomes the real museum. With new modern technique, the story of the city can and should be told in a new way. Guided city walks are a proven way to share the stories of the city, and are a beneficial compliment to the in-house activities of the museum. Although they are very popular with visitors, they are not accessible to everyone. For many they are not an alternative due to, for example, hearing difficulties, disability, lack of time, lack of social ability - the list can be made long.
Since the spring of 2006, the Stockholm city museum is tackling this challenge and opportunity by developing Digital Guides. The story of a city district or an exhibition, indoors or outdoors, is told by audio and illustrations in a standard PDA. This gives the user the opportunity to hear the stories of the city at their convenience and in their own pace. The next step in this digital development in the City museum is a web 2.0 application to be connected to the visitors own mobile phones.
Biographical notes
Monica Berneström is managing the development of Digital Services at the Stockholm City Museum. She has been involved in the IT-development in the City of Stockholm for the last 18 years. Among other appointments, she holds the position as chairman of the Program council for e-services at the National board of Innovation, Vinnova and is also chairing the jury of Guldlänken, a national award of innovative public e-services.
Sigvor Kvale och Karen Buset
NTNU Library, Trondheim
Norway
Abstract
This presentation will focus on how an e-learning tool can enhance students’ learning and improve the quality of students’ papers. We will also describe the features incorporated into the web-site to aid accessibility for all users.
VIKO is an interactive e-learning tool based on information literacy; it is divided into seven modules and provides a complete course with interactive tests. VIKO was released in 2004, and is now successfully implemented in the NTNU system.
VIKO version 2.0 will implement the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) from WAI, to provide equal access and equal opportunity for students with disabilities. This means that visually-impaired people also can use VIKO, and it also benefits people with other or without any disabilities.
Biographical notes
Karen Johanne Buset
Research librarian
Qualified as librarian at the Norwegian School of Library and Information Science
Master study programme in ICT from Norwegian School of Library and Information Science
Employed at the NTNU Library, Medical Library in Trondheim, responsible of user education at Medical Library
Engaged in projects connected with e-learning, learning technology standards, information literacy and web developing
Member of VIKO project group since 2003. Working with content, web programming and graphic design
Sigvor Kvale
Research librarian
Qualified as librarian at the Norwegian School of Library and Information Science Cand.phil (MA) in Scandinavian studies from NTNU
Employed at the NTNU Library in Trondheim with special responsibility for Scandinavian Studies, German studies and Comparative literature, and responsible for user education within these subjects.
Research Fellow in the university library at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2001 with a project on user education.
Report from the project:
From keepers of knowledge to agents of information literacy: Report from a project on user education at a university library in the USA http://www.ub.ntnu.no/ess/til opplysning/to nr6.php
Leader of the VIKO project since the start in 2003
Cary Karp
Internationalized Domain Names
Abstract
Text is published on the Internet in a broad range of languages (some estimates now place English at less than half of the aggregate) and the special issues that attach to the preparation of material written with scripts other than the Latin alphabet are well understood. Despite the availability of a similarly broad character repertoire for inclusion in the unique resource identifiers that are assigned to each document, such things as domain names are still commonly restricted to Latin characters, thus obscuring rather than signalling the language of the material that they designate. This workshop will describe the basic principles of Internationalized Domain Names, and illustrate their practical application. This will include discussions both of how to register such names, and how to indicate them in material intended for distribution on the Web.
Biographical notes
Cary Karp is the Director of Internet Strategy and Technology at the Swedish Museum of Natural History where is currently involved in the development of standards for the internationalization of the Internet.
He holds a PhD in musicology and is Associate Professor of Organology at Uppsala University.
Erik Stattin
Karolinska Institutet University Library
Stockholm
Sweden
Didn't talk at the conference because of common cold, but his slides are published here.
Publish & Discuss: The Practice of Blogging and Democractic Participation
Abstract
The last couple of years weblogs have emerged as a powerul force for debate and a new arena for disseminating information, ideas and knowledge, at least in the public imagination, both globally and locally. We will take a look at some of the research into the specifics of online debate in weblogs and the motivations that drive people into publishing themselves. What are the democratic aspects of the "push-button-publishing"-revolution of the second iteration of the evolution of the Internet? We will examine some of the more publicized instances when weblogs have helped orm and be formed by its interaction with mainstream media, and what this means for the state of journalism.
Biographical notes
Erik Stattin works as a librarian at Karolinska Institutet University Library, mainly in customer relations with a focus on web issues. He is educated at Stockholm University and Uppsala University. Other employers include the library of the Swedish parliament and the Royal Library. He is also an avid blogger at http://mymarkup.net and frequently writes about issues regarding the social aspects of Internet use, and is a co-organizer of the recurring conference Bloggforum.
Åsa Forsberg
ALI -- Archive for locally produced DAISY books
Abstract
ALI is a project between Lund, Karlstad, Växjö, Södertörn and Jönköping universities, TPB and Bibsam, to create a digital archive for DAISY books produced by universities.
Students with reading disabilities can have course literature in a adopted format, mostly as talking books. The universities adopt shorter publications, book chapters, journal articles and texts by teachers. Traditionally they have produced analogue recordings. Very seldom these recordings have been re-used.
ALI aims to:
- Facilitate and support the universities’ transfer from producing analogue recordings to digital DAISY books.
- Include more universities in the project.
- Create a digital archive with DAISY books produced by universities, where the content is searchable, accessible and reusable on a national level.
The presentation descrives the project so far and visions for the future.
Biographical notes
Librarian at the Library Head Office of Lund University Libraries, mainly working with library support for the education, such as the project ALI and Librarian on duty.
IT - The Most Revolutionary Issue Globally But is It for All?
Proscovia Svärd och Anneli Sundqvist
Abstract
The advantages that IT developments have afforded the world are numerous. However, it is only those with access to information technology, electricity and the right information skills that are fully benefiting from these technological advancements. This paper examines the documentation of the atrocities committed against women and children in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone has recently had a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that looked into the causes of war and created an impartial historical record. The TRC report is available on the Internet but accessing it requires information skills, access to a computer and the Internet. The paper argues that the preservation and dissemination of the TRC findings on the crimes committed against women and children is crucial to an understanding and prevention of such atrocities. Lack of computers and fast Internet connectivity hinders the diffusion of useful information into such societies. People should be empowered through access to information and the people-friendly side of IT should result into a positive development especially in the lives of the poor.
Biographical notes
Proscovia Svärd work as an Archivist and a Research Administrator on the Program on Post-Conflict Transition, the State and Civil Society in Africa being run by the Nordic Africa Institute. I have a BA and an MA in Archives and Information Science and B Sc in International Media and Communication Studies.
Anneli Sundqvist, MA, is junior lecturer and researcher in Archives and Information Science at the Mid Sweden University, Härnösand. She has previously been working as a professional archivist at popular movements archives and business archives, and also undertaken consultant assignments and investigatory work for example by commission of the National Archives. Her research interest concern access to information, technology and social change, and record keeping as means of transparency, governmental responsibility and accountability. At present she is working with the projects “Search processes, user behavior and archival representational systems”, and “SmeDoc - access to web-based information in small and medium-sized enterprises”.
Jesper Klein
Folke speaks - New speech synthesis for production of accesssible reading materials
Abstract
TPB has finished a two year project developing new tools and methods to produce accessible study materials utilising synthetic speech. The results, the software solutions, enables production of digital talking books with improved delivery time and lower cost.
A new series of projects (2007-2009) have now been started where new services for print disabled people based on the new synthetic speech will be developed. This project is a collaboration between TPB and PTS (Swedish National Post and Telecom Agency)."
Biographical notes
Jesper works as project manager at the Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille developing technology for production, distribution and consumption of accessible materials.
The most recently completed project Jesper led has established large scale production of university text books as digital talking books with synthetic speech in Sweden. Among other things, a new Text to Speech system for the Swedish language was developed in the project.
Torbjörn Dahlander
Digital distribution of talking books in Sweden
Abstract
More than 40 000 digital talking books are available for downloading from the digital library of TPB, The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille. This service, used by university libraries and public libraries, enhances the quality of talking book library service in Sweden. Today more than 300 libraries are downloading DAISY-talking books to their patrons. Downloads are growing at fast rate, from 8 716 in 2005 to 25 667 in 2006. Successful field trials with streaming reading of talking books have been carried out in 2006 and will continue this year. It is the first step in giving the patrons direct access to the talking books, by streaming and downloading.
Biographical notes
Torbjörn is a librarian at TPB, The Swedish Library of Talking Books and Braille. Working with TPB:s downloading service and project leader for field trial with streaming reading of talking books.
Per Lannerö
Should Little Brother Not Help Big Brother? - Google and the privacy issue
Abstract
Big Brother can see your every move on the web.
Big Brother knows your current location.
Big Brother knows what you are searching for.
Big Brother knows what people and organizations you're connected to.
Big Brother has seen everything you ever wrote online.
Big Brother has nearly infinite memory.
Big Brother is not a government agency nor a democratic institution.
Big Brother is being nice today, but what if things change...
Big Brother is hungry.
Big Brother is getting bigger.
Who can control Big Brother?
Little brothers are all those of us who make little contributions to the web.
Without little brothers, Big Brother is nothing.
Should little brothers not help Big brother?
Biographical notes
Pär Lannerö has been writing and lecturing about the Web since 1994.
In 1998 he created dejavu.org - a popular online museum dedicated to
the history of the Web. In 1999 he co-founded Metamatrix//Interfolio
where he is currently a part-time consultant. He is also a member of
a Semantic Web research group at the KTH department for Human-
Computer Interaction.
Cathrin Senn
Business Benefits of Developing Effective Taxonomies
Abstract
As information management challenges continue to rise, companies are increasingly turning to taxonomies and looking to the benefits that a taxonomy can offer. Knowledge workers need to be able to locate relevant information quickly so they can do their jobs more effectively. They are faced by a growing amount of data and their capacity to process information remains stable. The solution lies in a combination of technology and know how: by implementing a comprehensive taxonomy, companies can help connect those users to the information the organization values most in an efficient and structured manner.
During this session, I will discuss why companies need a taxonomy, how they should use it and how it will help their business to succeed. I will offer practical, interactive advice on what it takes to make taxonomies work, how best to initiate a taxonomy project, how to gain internal support and sponsorship for a taxonomy and how to achieve buy-in from the relevant user groups.
Bibliograhical notes
Cathrin Senn is a Dow Jones consultant, working with clients in Continental Europe from the Zurich office. Before joining Factiva, Cathrin worked as a taxonomy and knowledge management consultant in the reinsurance industry. At Swiss Re Cathrin was responsible for launching and managing the companies global Information specialist network of over 70 members. Cathrin was also a core team member of the Swiss Re information retrieval project, where she was responsible for the taxonomy strategy and roadmap. Cathrin has worked on various taxonomy and retrieval projects with clients in a wide range of industries. Before entering the world of knowledge management and taxonomies, Cathrin worked in language services and the publishing industry. She studied English and Spanish literature and linguistics and holds a doctorate in English literature.
Lars Ilshammar
Myths, Magic and Megabytes: What Else is New in the Internet Revolution?
Abstract
"The Internet Revolution" is one of the most widespread busswords of our time. It has often been synonymous with the promise of democracy and prosperity for all. Not least in the library and archive sector, expectations on the Internet and ICT in general as a magician's wand has been sky-high. But what is really new in the newest of technologies? And has the Internet Revolution fulfilled its utopian promises? If not, what are the main reasons?
In this presentation, the Internet is discussed as a socio-technical phenomenon. First: the Internet Revolution is put in an historical context, alongside with other "communication gospels" from the last two centuries. Second: three important obstacles for digital democracy are are identified and analysed: information protectionism, information consumerism and information economism. Finally a draft agenda for action for libraries and archives is introduced.
Biographical notes
Lars Ilshammar is manager of the Labour Movement Archives and Library in Stockholm. He is an historian with a PhD from the University of Örebro.
His thesis "The New Public Sphere" analyses the interrelation bwtween technology and politics in the digital era.