Colloquium

PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES:

How to fight info-poor exclusion?

Objectives

Program

Report & Photos

Book launch

VideoConference

Communications from CITIDEP: Alejandro Natal (Colegio Mexiquense), Mel King (MIT and Tent City, USA), Pedro Andrade (U. Coimbra, Portugal) and Pedro Ferraz de Abreu (MIT, USA); as well CITIDEP friends Anne-Catherine Fritzinger (Bibliotheque Marseille, France), and Susan Stuebing (Twynstra Group, Holland). Ana Reis prepared a presentation on CITIDEP Citizenship Kit Project, but could not attend.

At the Colloquium opening session, the Mayor of Lisbon, Joao Soares, after mentioning his long-time friendship and collaboration with CITIDEP President, expressed his strong support to the initiative and the Municipality's commitment to a strategic cooperation with CITIDEP on its drive to use new technologies to fight social exclusion, of which the work in progress towards building a new, modern, central public library for Lisbon was a good example. The President of the New University of Lisbon, Sousa Lobo, holding ICPPIT99's Book in his hand, praised the academic quality of this joint CITIDEP - DCEA/UNL publication, and expressed also the interest in pursuing the cooperation between CITIDEP and the New University of Lisbon, in line with initiatives like the past ICPPIT99 Conference, the book, and present Colloquium. Besides the interventions of the organizers, Manuela Rego (CML Culture Dep. Head) and Pedro Ferraz de Abreu (CITIDEP President), spoke also at the opening Mel King (Emeritus MIT and CITIDEP Science Council) and Maria Calado (City CouncilWoman for Culture).

The Colloquium was videotaped and CITIDEP is considering a limited edition on CD by 2001. Communications sent by participants up to the end of November 2000 will be published in a "non-frills" Proceedings.

As it was to be expected in this kind of meeting (no referee selection), there was a wide variety of presentations, with different depths. In general, interventions were well received, and all guest speakers made very interesting presentations. Thanks to an active participation of guest speakers like Mel King and others, the Colloquium's program was extended with an informal round table discussion. All international guest speakers were also invited to a formal Municipality dinner, and to an informal CITIDEP dinner party, which was very animated (check the photos).

PPIT Book launch

• Welcome - Timothy Sieber, Professor, University of Massachusetts and CITIDEP Science Council Chair

• Welcome - Marie McHugh, Simmons College, and CITIDEP-USA Committee

• Introductions - Daniel Ortiz, Director, Healey Library

• Opening Remarks - William Bulger, President, University of Massachusetts

• Remarks - James Matarazzo, Dean of the Graduate School of Library & Information Science, Simmons College

• Presentation - Ann McLaughlin, Director, Quincy Public Libraries, "The Mission of a Public Library: New Strategies for Modern Library Services"

• Moderator - Pedro Ferraz de Abreu, MIT and CITIDEP President
  
• Anne-Catherine Fritzinger, Marseille Public Library, France
• Barbro Bolonassos, Public Library of Stokolm, Sweden
• Frank Thissen, Director of Academy of School of Libraries and Information of Stutgart, Germany
• Luis Sa', Director of Library Division of Lisbon Municipality, Portugal
• Mel King, MIT Emeritus Professor, Tent City Center and CITIDEP, USA
• Mieke ven den Besselaar, Association for Public Libraries NBLC, Holland
• John Dolan, Adjunt Director of the Libraries of the City of Birmingham, UK