[Sigdl-l] LITA National Forum 2003 in Norfolk, Virginia

[Pascal Calarco]

(Apologies in advance for any duplication.)

Registration is now open for the 2003 LITA National Forum, to be held in 
Norfolk, Virginia, October 2 - 5, 2003.  "Putting Technology into 
Practice" is the theme for the three-day event.

Three preconferences will focus on handheld services in libraries, using 
open source systems in libraries, and the future of the library as a 
physical place in the digital age.

Three keynote sessions are planned:  R. David Lankes, Executive Director 
of the Information Institute of Syracuse and Assistant Professor at 
Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, will present 
"Digital Reference:  The First Mature Digital Library Service" on 
Friday, October 3; Liz Bishoff, Executive Director of the Colorado 
Digitization Program will present "Digital Dreaming, Digital Promise -- 
Getting Ready, Getting There" on Saturday, October 4; and David Seaman, 
Director of the Digital Library Federation will close the conference on 
Sunday, October 5, with "From Isolation to Integration:  Major Trends in 
Digital Libraries."

Thirty concurrent sessions will cover such diverse topics as virtual 
reference consortia, digital library collection management, 
database-driven websites, metadata standards (including OAI), XML 
databases, open source portal management, cross-database search 
projects, managing access to GIS repositories, usability studies, and more.

New to the Forum this year are poster sessions presenting unique 
technology applications that solve specific problems, such as digital 
rights management in the academic environment, PDA use in health 
sciences libraries, and link maintenance and repair, among others.

A Sponsor Showcase to be held on Friday evening and all day Saturday 
will allow attendees to learn about exciting developments from a variety 
of companies  We gratefully acknowledge the support of Endeavor 
Information Systems, Inc., Veicon Technology, Inc., Sirsi, Inc., Serials 
Solutions, Inc., and Swets Blackwell.

Registration is limited to 500 in order to retain the networking 
opportunities and other advantages of a small conference.  An evening of 
informal dinners with LITA leaders and volunteers is planned for 
Saturday evening.  An opening reception, generously supported by 
Endeavor Information Systems, Inc., will be held in the Grand Promenade 
of the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, overlooking the picturesque Norfolk 
Harbor. Other networking opportunities include Saturday lunch, 
continental breakfasts and refreshment breaks.
For more information and to register, please visit_ 
http://www.lita.org/forum03_.

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Pascal V. Calarco, MLIS, AHIP             e-mail: pascal.calarco at vcu.edu
Head, Library Information Systems         tel.: 804-828-0032
VCU Libraries                             fax: 804-828-0151
Virginia Commonwealth University          http://www.library.vcu.edu/
Richmond, VA USA 23284-2033
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