FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2007

Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

WebWise Proceedings, Papers, and Podcasts Now Available

Washington, DC—For the first time, the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is offering a publication highlighting proceedings of its signature Web Wise conference. The publication is available on the IMLS Web site at www.imls.gov/pdf/WebWiseProceedings2007.pdf (PDF, 2.6MB) and in print form by e-mailing imlsinfo@imls.gov. It contains summaries of each session, keynote speeches, project demonstrations, and brief biographies of the speakers. Also available for the first time are MP3 Podcasts of each conference session.

“Each year, WebWise brings together the nation’s brightest minds in the museum, library, and technology fields, but we recognize that not everyone has the means or time to attend. With that in mind, we have published the proceedings of this year’s WebWise, so that anyone interested can have access to the extraordinarily valuable information coming out of this conference,” said IMLS Director Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D.

More than 400 participants, representing all types of museums and libraries nationwide, attended the Feb. 28 -- March 2 meeting in Washington, D.C. The meeting, “Stewardship in the Digital Age, Managing Museum and Library Collections for Preservation and Use,” was co-sponsored by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and the J. Paul Getty Trust.

The Institute has also provided links to additional materials at www.imls.gov/news/events/webwise07.shtm:

• Full-text papers and Podcasts of many of the presentations appear in the July issue of the online journal First Monday (www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue12_7), which has published WebWise papers in a special issue each year since the first conference in 2000.
• The PowerPoint slides from many of the presentations are available for download.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.