Friday, February 8, 2019
8:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Great Room, Pryzbyla Student Center
The Catholic University of America

 

About the Symposium

Bridging the Spectrum: A Symposium on Scholarship and Practice in Library and Information Science offers a knowledge-sharing forum and meeting place for practitioners, students, and faculty in Library and Information Sciences and Services. Presentations are selected to showcase innovative practices, projects, and research activities in a variety of library, archives, or information services activities. Because students, faculty, and practitioners all share their work, the Symposium encompasses many different aspects and points of view on Library and Information Professional work. The program's goal is to foster unexpected connections across the spectrum of the information professions. 

Keynote Address

This year's keynote address was delivered by J. Mark Sweeney, Principal Deputy Librarian of Congress. 

Title: National Libraries’ Core Functions and Services: 21st Century Trends and Challenges

Abstract: Despite numerous differences between countries, many modern national libraries share a few core functions that support universal cultural heritage and legal needs. This keynote address will review the evolution of select functions at the Library of Congress, discuss how widely these functions are shared by other national libraries, and identify challenges for national libraries in keeping up with the demands of an increasingly digital environment. References will be made to relevant UNESCO and IFLA documents on the subject. Intent is that the audience will be informed with an international library perspective.

Mark Sweeney was appointed Principal Deputy Librarian of Congress on May 14, 2018. In this capacity, he provides executive leadership in support of the Librarian’s priorities and exercises Library-wide program and management authority to ensure that the Library’s services to the Congress and the American people are provided effectively. At the time of his appointment, Sweeney had been serving as Acting Deputy Librarian of Congress since October 1, 2017.

Before being named Principal Deputy Librarian, Sweeney served as Associate Librarian for Library Services since August 2014—first on an Acting basis then as permanent appointee beginning in February 2015. Previously, Sweeney served as the Library’s Director of Preservation beginning in April 2012. Prior to that, he served for nearly five years as the Chief of the Serial and Government Publications Division, followed by seven months as Chief of the Library’s Humanities and Social Services Division.

During his 30 years with the Library of Congress, Sweeney has also served as Program Manager for the Library’s highly successful National Digital Newspaper Program, as Chief of the Preservation Reformatting Division, as Head of the Newspaper Section, as a Reference Specialist and as a Supervisory Library Technician.

He has presented at numerous professional meetings and served on national and international boards and committees.

Sweeney holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from McGill University and a master’s in library and information science from The Catholic University of America.

 

Program Agenda

8:45 – 9:30 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast
Pryzbyla Center, Third Floor

9:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Keynote Address
J. Mark Sweeney, Principal Deputy Librarian of Congress
National Libraries’ Core Functions and Services: 21st Century Trends and Challenges

10:45 – 11:00 a.m.
Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Morning Breakout Sessions

12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
Lunch, Poster Lightning Round, and Poster Viewing

1:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Afternoon Breakout Sessions

3:15 – 3:45 p.m.
Closing Session

Sponsors

LAC Group, libnova, ZAI and EBSCO will sponsor this year's symposium.

                      

     .           

Symposium Committee

Dr. Ingrid Hsieh-Yee, Dr. Sue Yeon Syn and Dr. Jane Zhang
Committee shared email address: cua-slis-symposium@cua.edu