Upcoming Conference on Long-term Access to Government Information in the Digital Era

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries is organizing a conference called Leviathan North: Long-term Access to Government Information in the Digital Era at the St. James’ Cathedral Centre in Toronto on May 14-15, 2015:

"Libraries, archives and other memory institutions ensure that government information—vital for historical research and informed policy-making—remains accessible for current and future generations of researchers. Yet the vast scale of the information that governments produce and collect today, together with the inherent fragility of digital media and the complexities and costs of digital stewardship, threaten the survival of key information resources. The long-term preservation of digital government information was recently raised as a concern in reports from a Royal Society of Canada expert panel, the Auditor General of Canada, and a Canadian Council of Academies expert panel."

"Leviathan North: Long-term Access to Government Information in the Digital Era, inspired by the Centre for Research Libraries’ 2014 original Leviathan meeting held in Chicago in April 2014, will convene a range of high-level stakeholders in the long-term preservation and use of government information, providing a forum to explore the dimensions of the challenge and collaborative opportunities for the future. Through presentations and discussion, representatives of government agencies, research libraries (academic, public and legislative), national and provincial archives, and scholars will consider how changing needs are affecting longstanding roles and practices, and seek collaborative strategies to ensure the long-term survival, integrity and accessibility of the digital records, data and published information of Canadian governments."

Speakers include:

• Dr. Janice Stein, Munk School of Global Affairs, Belzberg Professor of Conflict Management, Department of Political Science, University of Toronto
• Thomas S. Blanton, Executive Director, National Security Archive, George Washington University, Washington, DC  
• Stephen B Walker, Executive Director, Information Management and Open Government, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
• Dr. Guy Berthiaume, Librarian and Archivist of Canada
• Sylvie Michaud, Assistant Chief Statistician, Analytical Studies, Methodology and Statistical Infrastructure
• Christiane Barbe, Présidente-directrice générale, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
• Ian Burnett, Chair, Council of Provincial and Territorial Archivists
• Vicki Whitmell, Chair, Association of Parliamentary Libraries in Canada
• Bernie Reilly, President, Center for Research Libraries
• Ingrid Parent, University Librarian, University of British Columbia, former President, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions