Zadar, Croatia, 16–20 June 2014
University of Zadar, Zadar, Croatia
(http://www.unizd.hr/hr-hr/english/aboutus.aspx)

Full information at: http://ozk.unizd.hr/lida/ Email: lida[at]unizd.hr

Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) is a biennial international conference that focuses on the transformation of libraries and information services in the digital environment. In recognition of evolving online and social technological influences that present both challenges and opportunities, “ASSESSMENT” is the theme for LIDA 2014. The conference theme is divided into two parts. The first part addresses advances in qualitative assessment methods and practices and the second part covers assessment
involving alternative metrics based on social media and a wider array of communicative activities, commonly referred to as “altmetrics.” LIDA 2014 brings together researchers, educators, and practitioners from all over the world in a forum for personal exchanges, discussions, and learning, made memorable by being held in an enchanting and spectacularly beautiful city on the shore of the Adriatic Sea.

LIDA 2014 Theme: ASSESSING LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY USERS AND USE

Part I: Qualitative methods in assessing libraries, users, & use: applications, results.

Contributions (types described below) are invited covering the following and related topics:
 

• New methodological developments and practical applications in qualitative assessments of libraries and information systems;
• Application of qualitative methods to the study of library users and use;
• Studies using a variety of qualitative methods, such as observations, surveys, interviews, focus groups, case studies, cultural studies, oral history, grounded theory, document studies, Delphi studies and others; 
• Qualitative study of a variety of library user groups or potential users: by generation, by role or occupation, by level of education and technological literacy, and others
• Assessment of library services in a variety of e-services, such as information literacy programs, e-learning, distance education, e-scholarship and others;
• Practical transformations in library services as a result of assessment;
• Emergence of new library visions and missions related to users and their reflection in new services as a result of assessment;
• Discussion about general issues resulting from assessments: How are we to understand new or transformed library services in their own right? In relation to traditional library services and values?

Part II: Altmetrics - new methods in assessing scholarly communication and libraries: issues, applications, results.

Contributions (types described below) are invited covering the following and related topics:
 

• Methodological developments and practical applications in altmetric assessments of scholarly communication, including caveats;
• Related criteria for altmetrics, such as [articles, concepts, ideas], viewed, downloaded, reused, adapted, shared, bookmarked, commented upon;
• Results from altmetric studies related to scholarly communication and evaluation;
• Methodological  and practical applications in the use of altmetrics in libraries and information systems;
• Effects of social media on libraries and information systems of all kinds;
• Criteria and metrics for assessing library employment of social media; 
• Results from studies of use of social media in libraries, particularly involving any kind of assessment;
• Changes in libraries’ use of social media;
• Discussion about general issues: How can and should libraries use social media? How are libraries and information systems to respond to the ever growing importance of social media in society? What are opportunities and challenges?

Types of contributions

Invited are the following types of contributions:

1. Papers: scholarly studies and reports on research and practice that will be presented at the conference and included in the published proceedings. The proceedings will be published in print and on the LIDA web site.

2. Posters: short graphic presentations on research studies, advances, examples, or preliminary work that will be presented in a special poster session. Awards will be given for Best Poster and Best Student Poster.

3. Demonstrations: live examples of working projects, services, interfaces, commercial products, or developments-in-progress that will be presented during the conference in specialized facilities or presented in special demonstration sessions.

4. Workshops: two to four-hour sessions that will be tutorial and educational in nature. Workshops will be presented before and after the main part of the conference and will require separate fees, to be shared with workshop organizers.

5. PhD Forum: short presentations by Ph.D. students, particularly as related to their dissertation, in a session organized by the European Chapter of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (EC/ASIST); responses will be provided by a panel of educators at this forum.

Submissions: Instructions for all submissions and author guidelines are provided at LIDA 2014 site http://ozk.unizd.hr/lida/. All submissions will be refereed.

Important dates

Papers and posters: an extended abstract by 15 January 2014.
Acceptance decision: announced by 10 February 2014.
Full papers and poster summaries for Proceedings: by 15 April 2014.
Workshops: a short proposal by 31 January 2014.
Demonstrations: a proposal by 1 March 2014.
PhD Forum: dissertation proposal or research description by 1 March 2014.

Conference contact information

Conference co-directors:
TATJANA APARAC-JELUSIC, Ph.D., Department of Information Science,
University of Zadar; Zadar, Croatia; taparac[at]unizd.hr  (also for general
correspondence)
TEFKO SARACEVIC, Ph.D., School of Communication and Information, Rutgers
University; New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA tefkos[a]rutgers.edu

Program chairs

For part I: DAVID BAWDEN, Ph.D., Centre for Information Science, City University London, London, UK. db[at]soi.city.ac.uk

For part II: BLAISE CRONIN, Ph.D., D.S.Sc., School of Informatics & Computing, Indiana University, Indiana, USA. bcronin[at]indiana.edu

Venue

Zadar is one of the enchanting cities on the Adriatic coast, rich in history. It still preserves a very old network of narrow and charming city streets, as well as a Roman forum dating back to the first century AD. In addition, the Zadar region is one of unparalleled natural beauty that includes two national parks. On the Adriatic Sea is the Kornati National Park, an unusual and colorful group of some 100 small islands. The National Park Paklenica is also close by, for those who enjoy exploring a
more mountainous terrain. Croatia is a great tourist destination of unspoiled beauty.