ACRL College & Research Libraries News

Association of College & Research Libraries

Expand your horizons at ACRL’s 10^th National Conference

Margot Sutton is ACRL program officer, e-mail: msutton@ala.org

ACRL NATIONAL CONFERENCE

A look at the keynote speakers

Mark your calendars! ACRL’s 10th National Conference, “Crossing the Divide,” will be held March 15-18, 2001, in Denver, Colorado—home of the great divide. Under the direction of Conference Chair W. Lee Hisle, the National Conference Executive Committee has been hard at work planning exciting and thought-provoking conference programs.

The keynote speaker subcommittee has finalized this year’s diverse slate of presenters—a technologist, a Western historian, and a university president. Their sessions will enlighten you not only on critical issues and challenges faced in higher education, but also in your everyday life.

The technology revolution

The National Conference will kick-off with the opening general session on Thursday, March 15, 2001, address featuring Michael Hawley, from the MIT Media Lab. During his presentation, Hawley will take you inside the technology revolution as he explores the limitless ways digital media is positioned to infuse everyday objects.

Hawley’s session should prove to be a lively one, as he shares the fascinating results of MIT’s groundbreaking research.

For example, research for the MIT program “Things That Think,” looks far beyond the traditional “desktop” and aims to create an infrastructure of systems that will link everyday objects (such as paper and shoes) to digital networks and to each other. Hawley will describe some of the products this program is investigating and inventing, including electronic paper and technology for the American Expedition to Mount Everest.

Hawley has earned degrees in computer science and music at Yale University and conducted postgraduate studies at MIT. He has performed cutting-edge research at AT&T Bell Labs, helped pioneer digital cinema technology with Lucasfilms, and was an architect of Steve Jobs’s NeXT computer. While working as a principal engineer at NeXT, Hawley developed the world’s first library of digital books, including digital editions of Shakespeare’s works and Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.

Hawley’s additional interests are as diverse as the projects he oversees at MIT. He is a one-time Duncan Yo-Yo champion, a former luger, and a member of the U.S. Bobsled Federation.

Also an accomplished pianist, he has studied with Ward Davenny, Claude Frank, David Deveau, and Earl Wild, and performs occasionally.

Keynote speakers for ACRL’s 10th National Conference (left to right): Michael Hawley, Claire Gaudiani, and Patricia Limerick.

Western voices

Explore the unique culture of the American West with Patricia Limerick, chair of the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado (UC), Boulder. Born in Banning, California, Limerick has been observing the West for many years and will discuss these observations during the All-Conference Luncheon on Friday, March 16, 2001. She will discuss contributions the American West has made to the United States and will explore the unique culture of the West, including the diversity of Native American culture, the impact of migration on the West, and the link between the West, higher education, and society.

At UC Limerick oversees the Center’s mission to explore, debate, and celebrate the distinctive qualities of the West. The Center seeks to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas in a critical dialogue about the West. In addition to her duties at the Center, Limerick is also the associate director of UC’s Minority Arts and Sciences Program. She has served on a number of advisory boards and committees, most recently the Board of Advisors for Ken Burn’s and Stephen Ives’s eightpart PBS series The West. She is also the current president of the Western History Association.

Reserve your space

Registration for ACRL’s National Conference begins in September 2000. Watch the conference Web site for more information at www.ala.org/acrl/denver.html.

A president’s view

The closing address on Sunday, March 18,2001, will feature Claire Gaudiani, president of Connecticut College. Gaudiani is a frequent speaker both nationally and internationally on topics related to education, philanthropy, ethics, and the role of colleges in civil society.

Nationally known as an advocate for global civic virtues in a modern democratic society, Gaudiani will discuss the role of the academy in developing society through its students, explore the actions individuals must take, and examine the library’s role in societal improvement.

Gaudiani will conclude her address by examining the libraries’ impact on student achievement and what, from a college president’s perspective, the library should consider doing differently. Her session will be structured so that time is allotted for a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Gaudiani has been actively involved in the development of Connecticut College. Under her leadership, the college has nearly quintupled its endowment and has risen in the influential US News and World Report survey from number 41 to 25. Applications for admission rose 18% in 2000, and a total of 40% over the last five years. Gaudiani holds a Ph.D. and master’s in French literature from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. She is president of the New London Development Corporation, a Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. The author of six books and more than 80 articles, Gaudiani is currently working on a book titled The Wisdom Tradition: Our Lost Inheritance. ■