Keynotes

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. (ET) Keynote: Robots vs Humans: Who will Win? Michael Peter Edson Digital Strategist, Writer, Independent Consultant, Independent Consultant Computers will never be as creative as humans, and the idea of intelligent robots ruling our lives is just a sci-fi fantasy—or so we would like to believe! But if we have learned anything from the history of digital technology, it is that change arrives in ways that are hard to predict and recognize, and often the future is already here. In this lively and engaging presentation, digital strategist and former Smithsonian and U.N. tech visionary Edson unpacks and explains the many ways that the future of AI and robotics has already arrived, and what librarians and other information and cultural professionals can do to help their institutions, colleagues, and communities adopt a new way of thinking and ready themselves for ever-faster waves of change.

10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET) Digital Disruption: How Digital Tools Are Changing the Game for Libraries Suzanne Marsalisi Marketing Manager, Communico Over the last year libraries were forced to explore digital as a primary way to serve their communities. How has this impacted their relationships with their communities and what opportunities has this created for further growth?

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET) Creating a Culture of Innovation Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino Author, Creating a Culture of Innovation Our speaker explores the different kinds of spaces (physical, digital, psychological) we create to develop and show off new ideas within an organizational context. Based on her book, written during the pandemic, she looks at some relevant historic attempts to shape our physical work conditions to promote the creation and the successful incubation of new ideas. Her earlier book,Smarter Homes, has led innovation functions in-house utilizing her training as an industrial and interaction designer.

5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (ET) Voice of the Future: Engaging & Marketing Emily Binder Founder, WealthVoice Smart speakers (like Alexa, Siri, Google & other assistants) are the fastest growing consumer technology of all time, reaching 50% of the U.S. population in under five years. We are moving out of Tap, Type, and Swipe into the VoiceFirst era. With 78% year over year sales growth of smart speakers, voice is becoming the primary way that consumers obtain information, goods, and services. Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri are changing the marketing landscape. 30% of all searches are screenless. The text-based mediums and social platforms of the last decade are crowded. 44% of consumers want to receive less email. Customer communication must evolve. Voice gives brands an unprecedented opportunity to build deeper relationships with their audience, creating conversational engagement and accessibility. Voice commerce is predicted to be an $80 billion market by 2023, so what will that mean for library collections and programs? What will conversations look like with our library audiences? Emily Binder, a leading voice marketing strategist, presents the opportunities of voice as a marketing channel that libraries can learn from and emulate to reach wider and different audiences and hopefully create more inclusive communities.

6:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (ET) Libraries Leading the New Normal & Beyond R. David Lankes Virginia & Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship, University of Texas at Austin Insurrection, pandemic, racial awakening, climate crisis, a looming wealth gap. Libraries of all types are functioning in a time unlike any in history. What role can librarians play in times such as these? The answer must be to rebuild trust and reaffirm the foundations of our very democratic ideals one community at a time. Librarians are joining with those in our communities in forging a new normal that embraces diversity over division, collaboration over ideology, and seeks a unified equitable future. But how do libraries have a bigger impact, how do they ensure their communities see libraries as a major partner, and how do libraries move to next level and advance their agenda on a global scale.<

Thursday, October 28, 2021

10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (ET) Accessing Knowledge: Internet Librarians’ Call to Action! Jean-Claude Monney Chief Product Officer & Board Member, Keeeb Inc. A longtime knowledge management guru with Microsoft, our speaker talks about the evolution of access to knowledge, from pull, with people seeking/searching for knowledge, to automated pull, where the knowledge finds the people. He discusses how this journey goes through two main phases, conversational with bots and voice assistances, and batch.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. (ET) Closing Keynote: Libraries’ Biggest Challenges & Opportunities for 2022+ Hanna Bryd-Little, Library & Archives, The Webb School Jim Peterson, IT Manager, Goodnight Memorial Library Mary Ann Mavrinac, Vice Provost, & Andrew H. and Janet Dayton Neilly Dean, University of Rochester Libraries, University of Rochester Suzanne Marsalisi, Marketing Manager, Communico Richard Huffine, Chief, Library and Public Information Center, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation This final keynote of the conference looks at connecting with our different types of library communities over the last year, looks ahead to taking advantage of opportunities and partnerships, as well as understanding our communities’ demographics and needs in the coming year and beyond. Read the full session description.