NFAIS Announces 2008 Annual Conference Theme As
The New Information Order: Its Culture, Content and Economy
 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW!

Philadelphia, PA, September 25, 2006 – The National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS - www.nfais.org), the premier membership association for organizations that create, organize and facilitate access to information, announced today the theme and location for its 2008 Annual Conference and 50th Anniversary Gala. The conference, The New Information Order: Its Culture, Content and Economy is scheduled for February 24 - 26, 2008 at the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia, PA. It will take a look at how the rapid adoption of information technology is creating a user-centric, technology-driven society with its own unique culture, value propositions, behavior and economy, and will highlight the opportunities for all information providers – publishers, librarians and educators - to adapt their products, services and business practices to this new society.

“Each significant information technology breakthrough - the printing press, the computer, and now the Web - has brought about a cultural change in how people access and share information,” said NFAIS President, Kevin Bouley. “And we are witnessing such a cultural change today. The millennial generation uses the Web to communicate, collaborate, and seek information in new ways. They have established virtual communities, they generate their own content, and their perception of the value of content has been shaped by free information on the Web. These trends, along with the emergence of new sources of information and new markets as economic power shifts from the West to countries such as China and India, are creating a new global information order.”

Bouley noted that the conference will begin with an overview of the new information order, including survey results that provide insights to the new culture that has emerged and case studies that offer practical examples of how this culture is influencing communication and work behaviors. It will also look at how content providers are leveraging current and emerging technologies to meet user expectations and enhance the value of their information. And critical issues such as the changing value of content, new business models, the role of virtual communities, the value of user-generated content and social tagging, and the impact of a geographic shift in economic power to China will be explored. Highlights include a plenary session on the future of information discovery and a closing panel of CEO’s from the corporate, academic and government sectors who will discuss strategies for success in the new information order.

“It is often difficult for one generation to recognize and accept the cultural changes initiated by the generation that follows,” said Bouley. “But while it is true that each generation faces similar information needs and problems, the technology of the day allows them to resolve those needs and problems quite differently than their predecessors. As a result, user behavior and expectations change, and it is these changes that are driving the new culture. It is essential that traditional content providers, librarians and educators understand these differences in order to carve out their role in the New Information Order.”

For more information or to be added to the mailing list for updates on the 2008 NFAIS Annual Conference and 50th Anniversary Gala, contact Jill O’Neill, Director of Communication and Planning (jilloneill@nfais.org, or (215)-893-1561 phone) or visit the NFAIS web site at www.nfais.org.

This program is being developed by the 2008 NFAIS Annual Conference Planning Committee

 

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