Keynote Speakers

Keynote speakers and information about their presentations.

Prof. Tom Wilson

Thinking about the future

Reflections on the recent history of library and information work and the impact of technology. Thoughts on the nature of technological and social change and how the changes now in process are likely to affect the nature of the information-related professions. The problems of planning for a future when both anticipated and unanticipated developments have complex and unknowlable consequences.

Tom Wilson is Professor Emeritus at the University of Sheffield, England. About the speaker.

Dr. Kimmo Tuominen

Cognitive authority and Web 2.0

Kimmo Tuominen is head of reference and archival services at the Library of Parliament, Finland. About the speaker.

Prof. Fernanda Ribeiro

Information Science: from disciplinary unity to the diversity of the profession

Information, as a human and social phenomenon, is the object of study of an emergent scientific field named Information Science, which we put forward as unitary and transdisciplinary and open to a rich interdisciplinarity with other fields of knowledge. Even though the search for a specific scientific identity is quite recent, the fact is that since ancient times a wide variety of professionals appeared, developing practical activities related to information, which have adopted different designations, such as ‘archivist’, ‘librarian’, ‘documentalist’ or more recently ‘records manager’, ‘information manager’, ‘information scientist’…

In the face of a new reality, baptized as the ‘Information Society’, it is urgent to consolidate the theoretical foundations of Information Science, to develop research, both pure and applied, and especially to rethink and to renew educational models. The variety of professional profiles and the multiplicity of competencies that are today required to be an information professional, who is prepared to enter the work market, require a unitary and consistent theoretical basis. Without such a support, new graduates will hardly be able to respond effectively to the demands of the diverse organic contexts where information is produced, used and preserved for continuous access over time.

Fernanda Ribeiro is professor at the University of Porto, Portugal. About the speaker.