The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can be viewed on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/121508a.shtm. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2008

IMLS Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, [log in to unmask] 
Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask]

The Wolfsonian-FIU Contact
305-535-2632
Susanna Temkin, [log in to unmask] 
 
IMLS and The Wolfsonian-Florida International University Announce Registration for 2009 WebWise Conference

Washington, DC-The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and The Wolfsonian-Florida International University (The Wolfsonian-FIU) announce open registration for the 2009 WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. The free conference takes place February 26-27, 2009, at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with a pre-conference workshop on February 25. For information on the conference and related events, please go to: http://webwise2009.fcla.edu. 

The 2009 WebWise Conference theme is "Digital Debates." Participants will explore the ethical, strategic, and programming challenges posed by emerging technologies. Designed as "debates" between expert panelists from the museum, library, academic, and technology fields, each session of the WebWise Conference will address "big issues" that digital technologies pose for cultural institutions. Questions under debate include: 

* What happens to an institution's control when audiences become collaborators?
* What are the rights and responsibilities of cultural institutions when it comes to digital technologies and an online presence? 
* How can cultural institutions collaborate with users, peer institutions, and/or corporate entities without compromising their own identity/integrity?
* When should museums and libraries invest in technologies, and when are such investments extraneous to an institution's core mission?

The 2009 WebWise Conference features keynote addresses by Michael R. Nelson, professor at Georgetown University and former director of Internet Technology and Strategy at IBM, and Jonathan Palfrey, professor and vice-dean at Harvard University's Law School and Faculty co-director of the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet & Society. 

On the evening of February 25, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is supporting the WebWise welcome reception. The reception will feature innovative digital media and learning projects supported by MacArthur.

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. Information on past WebWise conferences can be found at: http://www.imls.gov/webwise. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov. 

About The Wolfsonian-Florida International University 
The Wolfsonian is a museum, library, and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design. The collections comprise approximately 120,000 pieces from the period 1885 to 1945 - the height of the Industrial Revolution until the end of the Second World War - in a variety of media, including: furniture; industrial-design objects; works in glass; ceramics; metal; rare books; periodicals; ephemera; works on paper; paintings; textiles; and medals. The curatorial goal is to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, historical, and technological changes that have transformed our world.

The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach Fl. Admission is $7 adults; $5 seniors, students, and children six-12; free for Wolfsonian members, State University System of Florida staff and students with ID , children under six, and Miami Beach residents with ID. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm; Thursday and Friday from noon-9pm; and is closed on Wednesday. Contact us at 305.531.1001 or visit us online at www.wolfsonian.org. 

The Wolfsonian receives ongoing support from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Continental Airlines, the Official Airline of The Wolfsonian; the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation; and Pistils & Petals. 

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