*NIFT** in collaboration with IFLA - Art Libraries Section * Organises *ICLAM 2011 (**International conference on the Convergence of Libraries, Archives and Museums*) *Theme : User Empowerment through Digital Technologies February 15 to 17, 2011** Venue : India International Centre, New Delhi* : The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will organize an international conference in collaboration with the *Art Libraries Section* of the *International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions** (IFLA)* from *February 15 to 17, 2011* in New Delhi. The venue of the conference is the centrally located and prestigious cultural hub of Delhi - the India International Centre. The theme of the conference is User Empowerment through Digital Technologies. This is the first conference in the series titled “* International** conference on the Convergence of Libraries, Archives and Museums (ICLAM)*” and NIFT’s third initiative to promote cross-sectoral collaborations in the knowledge sector in India. Empowerment of users is the key concern of all professionals in the heritage sector. At present the most challenging issue is serving the technology-empowered users who easily metamorphose from consumers to creators or producers of information. Libraries, Museums and Archives continuously empower their systems and services with dynamic digital technologies to serve the users more effectively. This conference will offer a forum to discuss the theme of empowerment of users from multiple perspectives – ranging from user interface technologies to empowerment of disadvantaged user communities. The issue of empowerment is also related to affordability and sustainability of digital technologies particularly in this age of financial instability. Library & Information professionals and conservators, as end users of open source and commercial software, will also discuss trends and problems. Various infrastructural, organizational and technological options including partnerships of various sectors will also be discussed. *Call for Papers* Papers and presentations are invited on the following topics related to each listed sub-theme (in bold): (More sub-themes and topics will be added. Papers on related topics are also welcome) *Emergence of the Technology-Empowered Users: * · Changing roles of Users in Libraries, Archives & Museums · Information seeking behaviour of Users : Emerging Trends · New roles & identities for Librarians, Archivists & Conservators *Empowering Users of Libraries, Archives & Museums:* · User Interface Technologies : Emerging Trends · Social Media for Empowerment: Web2.0 & beyond · Management of User-generated contents in Libraries & Museums * Building Information Repositories : Emerging Trends in Technologies* · Digital Preservation Technologies : Emerging Trends · Building Institutional Repositories : Strategies for future · Open Source vs. Commercial software *Re-defining Rights of Users of Libraries : Perspectives of Creators, Mediators and Users* · Freedom of Access to Information · Copyright & Fair Use · IPR & Digital resources *Serving the Empowered Users in Libraries & Information Centres* · Relevance of Conventional Library services to Web - empowered Users · Information Literacy Programmes · Special services for Users with Special Needs · Marketing information services to the empowered users · Branding & Promoting Institutional repositories *Open Access Publishing : A tool for Empowerment* * * · Open Access Publishing of Books · Scholarly Communication & Open Access Publishing · Sustainability of Open Access Initiatives · Future of e-journals & e-books : Emerging Integrated format * * * * *Bridging the Digital Divide** among Users : Roles of Libraries & Information Centres* · Economic barriers to Information Access · Empowerment of Disadvantaged User Communities · Roles of Public Libraries & Information Centres in the Rural Sector · Transcending the language barriers through digital technologies *Partnerships for Empowerment & Libraries* · Sustainable Digitisation Projects · Public & Private Partnerships for Digit al Libraries · Consortium model of Co-operation *From Collaboration to Convergence:* Networking of Libraries, Museums, Archives and Beyond *One day of Special Parallel Sessions on Heritage Resources in Art Libraries, Archives & Museums * *Cultural heritage** **in Art Libraries, Archives & Museums* · Culture of Heritage Preservation: Eastern & Western perspectives · Changing Patronage : Public & Private funding of Artists & Collections · How authentic is the Art work? The Collector’s nightmare · Marketing Strategies for Visual Resources · Art libraries in Asia & Africa : Problems & Prospects · Public Museums in Asia & Africa : Problems & Prospects · Archives in the Digital Age : Problems & Prospects *Digital Preservation of Cultural heritage* · Conservation of Art works & Handicrafts : Fusion of traditional techniques & modern technologies · Challenges of preservation of Rare books & Manuscripts · Archiving Exhibitions (including various forms of art) · Preserving ‘born digital’ heritage : Emerging trends · Virtual & Physical Environments in Museums · Revival of traditions through Digital Preservation *Special session** **on Conservation of Textiles & Costumes* · *Conservation of Historic Textiles & Costumes : Emerging trends* · *Conservation of Contemporary Designer collections* · *Digital Photography of Textiles & Costumes( including 3-D photography)* · *Business of Textile Conservation* · *Conservator’s role in Revival of traditional Textile crafts * * * Who can participate? Library & Information professionals from special, academic & public libraries, conservators, IT professionals, publishers, authors, educators, students and all users of libraries, information centres, archives and visitors of museums from any part of the world can attend the conference. For more details please visit the website of NIFT www.nift.ac.in Contact persons : Dr. Sanjeev Kumar 011-26542004&2 Nandini Dutta 011-26542146/7 Email : iclam2011@nift.ac.inhttp://in.mc949.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=iclam2011@nift.ac.in ; iclam2011@gmail.comhttp://in.mc949.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=iclam2011@gmail.com ; -- Head Resource Centre National Institute of Fashion Technology Hauz Khas New Delhi - 110016 Web site : http://www.nift.ac.in -- -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.