The WebWise Conference annually brings together representatives
of museums, libraries, archives, systems science, education, and
other fields interested in the future of highquality online content for
inquiry and learning.

Save the Date: WebWise 2009!

The 10th annual WebWise Conference on Libraries and Museums in the Digital Age will be held in Washington, DC, February 25-27, 2009. IMLS will partner with The Wolfsonian-Florida International University and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to host this year’s signature event. The theme of the 2009 conference is “Digital Debates.” Sessions will feature library and museum leaders as well as experts outside of the cultural heritage community who will stimulate conversation and reflecton the challenges posed by emerging technologies and their effects on the roles that libraries and museums will play in the next decade. The conference will open with a half-day pre-conference workshop on the afternoon of February 25, followed by the opening reception. The main conference will begin on February 26 and conclude by noon on February 27. The conference hotel is the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. The program and registration page will be posted in the coming weeks.

Previous WebWise Conferences

WebWise 2008: WebWise 2.0: The Power of Community
March 5-8, 2008

WebWise 2007: Stewardship in the Digital Age: Managing Museum and Library Collections for Preservation and Use
March 1-2, 2007

WebWise 2006: Inspiring Discovery, Unlocking Collections
February 15-17, 2006

WebWise 2005: Libraries and Museums in the Digital World
February 17-18, 2005

WebWise 2004: Sharing Digital Resources
March 2004

IMLS Digital Resources

WebWise 2007 Proceedings Book (PDF, 2.6MB)
The eighth annual WebWise conference, cosponsored by IMLS, OCLC, and the J. Paul Getty Trust, was held February 28–March 2 in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme was “Stewardship in the Digital Age: Managing Museum and Library Collections for Preservation and Use." The Proceedings Book provides summaries of each session, full text of conference keynotes, and more.

Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation's Museums and Libraries - 2005
In 2001, the Institute conducted the first-ever study of the status of new technology adoption and digitization in the nation’s museums and libraries.This second study seeks to dig deeper and find out more about how and why our cultural institutions use technology and digitize their collections.

Digital Resources for Cultural Heritage: A Strategic Assessment Workshop on Current Status and Future Needs (PDF, 937 KB)
Report and recommendations stemming from an Institute sponsored workshop of 63 specialists from 26 states representing libraries, museums, archives, higher education institutions, public broadcasting, research consortia, public and private funding organizations, and service providers. The report assesses progress and plans for the development and use of digital cultural resources.

Assessment of End-User Needs in IMLS-Funded Digitization Projects (PDF, 617 KB)
An Institute commissioned study of the needs-assessment practices used in digitization projects.

A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Identifies principles of good practice and current standards in four areas: collections, digital objects, metadata, and digital projects. The Framework was developed with Institute support and is maintained by the National Information Standards Organization.

Report of the Workshop on Opportunities for Research on the Creation, Management, Preservation and Use of Digital Content (PDF, 277 KB)
The University of Florida, Florida Center for Library Automation, convened a workshop in March 2003 to assess research needs related to digital cultural content. This report summarizes the results of the workshop and presents suggestions for useful areas of research.

Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation's Museums and Libraries - 2001
A study of the use of technology and digitization activities in libraries and museums nationwide.