Abstract: The best days of librarianship are ahead of us. However, to get there the field must step back, refocus, and reexamine our core principles. We as a profession have become so focused on the trees of standards and process that we are now at risk from missing the larger forest of opportunities. This talk will present a view of a new librarianship, one focused on knowledge and action instead of artifacts and collection. The presentation will look beyond the trends of today’s technologies to a durable new librarianship that focuses on innovation, leadership, and service.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/Charleston.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/charleston09.mp3

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A few hours later the director decided to walk the building and get a sense of moral among her staff. In rare books area she saw a group of librarians busily scanning books. “What are you scanning all of those books?” the director asked.

“We’re trying to increase the digital collection of the library so we can put a lot of great content on the website and make it more appealing to potential students.”

The director went to the acquisition area and saw the librarians surfing Amazon. “What are you doing?” asked the director.

“We are looking to see if we can save money by buying directly from online retailers.”

Finally the director went to the first floor where se saw the reference librarians pulling books off the shelf, tearing off the covers, and then randomly replacing them.

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT?” cried the director.

“Job security”

Sarah talks with Dr. R. David Lankes, Associate Professor and Director of the Information Institute of Syracuse School of Information Studies at Syracuse University about the concept of participatory librarianship. They also discuss the mission of a librarian, learning as conversation, and the four major ways of facilitating knowledge and information.

http://www.librarybeat.org/longshots/play/191

Abstract: This presentation examines work to redefine librarianship not as a set of functions, or skills, but as a deeper mission rooted in how people learn and use knowledge.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/RealSweden.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/Sweden.mp3

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Abstract: The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. Through service, innovation, and leadership, librarians facilitate conversations in schools, communities, colleges, government, businesses, and beyond. It is this act of facilitation of knowledge in partnership with communities that makes a library, not collections, blogs, catalogs, or ivy on walls. This is the central premise of participatory librarianship. This discussion will explore the new role of librarians as a passionate and powerful force focused on the social good.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/NNYLN.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/NNYL.mp3

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Abstract: An argument for taking a step back and reconceptualizing librarianship through conversation.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/Lansing.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/MichiganLansing.mp3
Lecture Notes: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/LansingNotes.html

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Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/CTChange.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/CtChange.mp3

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Abstract: The following presentation is a crossover between the Conversatns Converation/Confernece and the ALA Annual Conference.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/ConversantsALAVirtual.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/VirtualALA.mp3
Transcript: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/ConvTrns.html

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http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6650838.html

They Named the Building After Us: The Library as Conversation from R. David Lankes on Vimeo.

“They Named the Building after Us: The Library as Conversation” Keynote Conversants Conference/Conversation.

Abstract: The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. Through service, innovation, and leadership librarians facilitate, conversations in schools, communities, colleges, government, businesses, and beyond. It is this act of facilitation of knowledge in partnership with communities that makes a library – not collections, blogs, catalogs, or ivy on walls. This is the central premise of participatory librarianship. This keynote will explore the new role of librarians as a passionate and powerful force focused on the social good. It will present a unifying approach to librarianship that seeks to make sense of Library 2.0 and information commons alike.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/ConversantsKeynote.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/ConversantsKeynote.mp3

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They Named the Building After Us: The Library as Conversation from R. David Lankes on Vimeo.

Abstract: When a book becomes an ebook it looses more than simply its physical binding – it looses hard boundaries that separate the content of the book from its use. Online journals are not simply pictures of a traditional journal on a screen, but rather the foundations of intellectual communities. While today we hold on to terms such as book, journal, magazine and simply affix “e” to them, in truth, these terms of simply metaphors, an echo of an earlier analog reality. Online narratives, theses, and “how-to’s” become living documents bound closer to a multitude of contexts that defy traditional notions of information organization, already strained to the breaking point of scale. What is needed is a new approach to organizing knowledge, one based on context that occurs in the space between artifacts.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/SUNYLA.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/PCC.mp3

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Abstract: Librarians must look beyond functional definition of the field (what we do it and how we do it) and to deeper understandings that will allow them to succeed into the future.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/SUNYLA.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/SUNYLA.mp3

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Abstract: Libraries are changing – transforming from quiet buildings with loud rooms to loud buildings with quiet rooms – from places for things to places for knowledge and learning. This change is too big and important. Every one from librarian to assistant to patron must help shape the future of our libraries. Come start the conversation.
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/NYSLAA.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/NySLAA.mp3

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Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/BPM.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/BPM.mp3

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Abstract: What if librarianship wasn’t a vocation of tools and skills, but of passion and knowledge? What if instead of identifying our roles with materials and order, we thought about embracing the chaos and excitement of change?
Slides: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/Presentations/2009/Conn.pdf
Audio: http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/pod/2009/Conn.mp3

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Thanks.

They Named the Building After Us: The Library as Conversation

The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities. Through service, innovation, and leadership librarians facilitate conversations in schools, communities, colleges, government, businesses, and beyond. It is this act of facilitation of knowledge in partnership with communities that makes a library – not collections, blogs, catalogs, or ivy on walls. This is the central premise of participatory librarianship. This keynote will explore the new role of librarians as a passionate and powerful force focused on the social good. It will present a unifying approach to librarianship that seeks to make sense of Library 2.0 and information commons alike.