Traditional Cultural Expression Conference, Fifth Panel

November 16, 2008

A panel titled “Drawbacks to Traditional Copyright Protections and Alternative Models" delivered perhaps the most impassioned talks of the Traditional Cultural Expression Conference in Washington, D.C. Debra Harry, executive director of the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism  pulled no punches as she emphasized that indigenous people must be consulted at the onset and throughout any effort … Continue reading Traditional Cultural Expression Conference, Fifth Panel →

Traditional Cultural Expression Conference, Fourth Panel

November 16, 2008

“Challenges to Libraries and Archives in the Management of Works of Indigenous Communities” was the theme of the fourth panel at the Traditional Cultural Expression Conference in Washington, D.C. Kimberly A. Christen, associate professor at Washington State University, explained access parameters in tagging for databases, to illustrate collaborative management of indigenous materials, that is, matching access to … Continue reading Traditional Cultural Expression Conference, Fourth Panel →

Traditional Cultural Expression, Third Panel

November 16, 2008

“Indigenous Perspectives on Intellectual/Cultural Property Rights and Access” was the theme of the third panel at the We Shall Remain, scheduled to air on public television in April 2009, on developing a multimedia toolkit to help libraries use the American Experience series to establish native history as an essential part of American history. New Zealander Spencer Lilley, Maori services manager for … Continue reading Traditional Cultural Expression, Third Panel →

Traditional Cultural Expression, Second Panel

November 15, 2008

“Traditional Cultural Expression on the International Scene” was the theme of the second panel at the Traditional Cultural Expression Conference in Washington, D.C. Michael S. Shapiro, of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, talked about the basic attributes of folklore, namely that it is: passed from generation to generation, community oriented, not attributable to individual authors, and … Continue reading Traditional Cultural Expression, Second Panel →

Traditional Cultural Expression, First Panel

November 14, 2008

The Traditional Cultural Expression Conference settled into an intensive series of panel discussions on its second day, November 13, at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the participants learned that the American Library Association's primary purpose in holding the three-day invitational event was "to define the U.S library position on cultural expression." The first … Continue reading Traditional Cultural Expression, First Panel →

Traditional Cultural Expression Conference

November 13, 2008

It doesn’t take long before a dinner table conversation about “traditional cultural expression” gets into some really heavy stuff. That’s what happened last night, November 12, when I sat at the table in Washington, D.C., with Wend Wendland, head of the Traditional Creativity, Cultural Expressions, and Cultural Heritage Section of the World Intellectual Property Organization … Continue reading Traditional Cultural Expression Conference →

Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium Video

November 12, 2008

The final bit of coverage (on this blog, at least) of GLLS 08: The video. The full interview list: Lawrence Kutner, Center for Mental Health and Media, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital (keynote: "Grand Theft Childhood? Real Data on Violent Video Games and Youth") Seann Dikkers, University of Wisconsin-Madison Games Learning Society Group (presentation: … Continue reading Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium Video →

Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium 2008

November 12, 2008

The 2008 ALA Techsource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, held November 2-4 in Oak Brook, Illinois, demonstrated many of the benefits gaming has for libraries, including improved literacy, improved civic engagement, inclusiveness, and even fundraising. Interviewed are: Lawrence Kutner, Center for Mental Health and Media, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital (keynote: “Grand Theft Childhood? … Continue reading Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium 2008 →

Election Day in Chicago

November 4, 2008

I arrived at the polls this morning at 6:50 a.m. There were 50 people in line ahead of me. I live in one of those Chicago neighborhoods that over the last dozen years has seen an exodus of mostly Latino residents and an influx of McMansion builders, yet we still vote at Christopher House, a … Continue reading Election Day in Chicago →