Foresight and Futures Activities for Libraries, Library Associations, and Archivists

Starting in June 1996, I have spoken and facilitated workshop sessions with a variety of national, regional, and local library associations on emerging issues of change critical to the profession. These included the Special Libraries Association (SLA) National Conference in Indianapolis, 1996; the 2000 Southwest Regional SLA conference; the 2nd Conference on Professional Education of the American Libraries Association, 2000; the 8th Annual Symposium on Collection Development, hosted by the University of Minnesota Libraries; the June 2001 SLA National Conference in San Antonio; and a host of workshops for regional library associations throughout Texas.

Why do I list these activities under "leadership"? Because foresight -- sensitivity to emerging change and its effects and impacts -- and vision -- the articulation of values and goals as a preferred future -- are the heart of leadership. If you doubt that, go reacquaint yourself with the works on leadership I have annotated in my bibliography. MacGregor Burns' definition of transformative leadership hinges on leaders' abilities to communicate a compelling vision. The keynotes and workshop exercises below were all designed to assist librarians and archivists in the five key activities of futures studies which support dynamic, transformational leadership.

• "Developing Collections for the Digital Generation," Symposium on Collection Development, University of Minnesota Libraries, 2001
  • Slides (html)
  • Download the slides (warning: large files): Acrobat .pdf or Quicktime movie.
    
• Panel presentation at the June 2001 Special Libraries Association National Conference,
  San Antonio, Texas
  • Slides (html)
  • Download the slides (warning: large files): Acrobat .pdf or Quicktime movie.
• Example of workshop presentations: Corpus Christi (uses emerging issues of change and futures wheels)
  • Slides (html)
  • Download the slides (warning: large files): Acrobat .pdf or Quicktime movie.
• Example of scenario exercise for library contingency planning, from the Texas SLA Chapter:
  • Scenario Incasting: Exploring Possible Futures for Libraries and Librarians