Collaboration in the Digital Age Forum to be Held June 24 and 25 in Denver
Americans are increasingly using the Internet to connect to museum and library resources. Digitizing special library and museum collections has many advantages—better collection management, less wear and tear on objects, and greater public access, to name a few. But challenges include cost, prioritization, and preserving digital collections. Where to begin?
To answer some of these questions, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is sponsoring the forum “Collaboration in the Digital Age” June 24 and 25 in Denver.
This program—organized in cooperation with Heritage Preservation, the Colorado Historical Society, the Denver Public Library, and the Denver Art Museum—is part of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, an IMLS initiative to save endangered collections in the nation’s museums and libraries.
“Collaboration in the Digital Age” responds to the needs of museums and libraries by helping them think strategically and collaboratively about digitization and digital preservation. Speakers will review the fundamentals of digital content creation and preservation, emphasizing practical approaches to planning digital projects, increasing access to collections, enabling digital resources to serve multiple purposes, and protecting digital investments. Francie Alexander, Senior Vice President of Scholastic Education and Chief Academic Officer of Scholastic Inc., will be the first of many speakers, including leaders in the digital collections field and other distinguished professionals from across the nation. The keynote speaker will be Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The forum is open and free of charge to staff and board members of museums, libraries, and archives, as well as to conservation professionals, representatives of government, funders, and the media. It will be held at the three sponsoring institutions, all located just south of Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.
Advance online registration is required by May 23, 2008. There will be no on-site registration. To learn more about the forum, click here.