4th State GILS Conference Hosted by Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records 24 – 27 April 2002 Scottsdale, Arizona

Library Home Conf. Home Program Registration Hotel Maps Visit Arizona		Learn about the use of and continue the development of GILS to provide access to state government information. The conference features A special ramp-up session for first-time attendees. Come Wednesday afternoon to find out the progress that's been made over the past four years, and you'll get a lot more out of the rest of the conference.   A keynote preservation by Steve Worona of Educause. Steve has a fascinating view of how people seek and use information at work and in their daily lives. Now that it's here, the future's not what we thought it would be. What do we need to be planning for?   A network knowledgeable, supportive collaborators. Meet others facing the same problems you are, and learn about solutions — high-tech and low-tech.   Evolving standards and best practices. Find out how you can apply those standards to improve access to state government information. You'll leave the conference charged up with great ideas and enthusiasm. The conference is about helping the public find access to information. It's not about technology, although you can learn about technologies that may help. It's not about the documents, but you'll learn something about the nature of that information that can help you understand how to analyze it. It's not about cataloging, but you will see a number of ways that description and indexing are useful. GILS programs are about people, the public that we're mandated to serve. It's about trying to find out the kinds of information they need, and then ensuring that that information is readily accessible. It's about making it easy for them to find what they want. Some History of the State GILS Project The State GILS Conferences grew out of a 1998 collaborative project between Washington, Oregon, Illinois, New Hampshire, and New Mexico state libraries to help the public find the state government information they needed. The project focused on individuals' need for information and the information-seeking process, not the documents that might contain the information. Rather than trying to catalog all documents, a GILS project attempts to build a system to help people navigate the complex environment of state government information. A Web-based "catalog" helped people determine the most effective terms to use when searching for information. Based on an analysis of frequently asked questions, the catalog organized results so that people saw core documents that were most useful at the very top. And someone didn't find what they were looking for, the catalog included information on how to contact someone who would almost certainly know. GILS are founded on a few key principles: The program focuses on the public's need for information, not on the documents that contain the information nor any specific technology. The system must be easy to use. The system should include mechanisms to help people when they can't find the information they're looking for. Success is measured by the precision and organization of documents found, not the number. A few good hits are vastly better than thousands of false hits. The information should be authoritative. For More Information Check the online registration form for details about costs and payment. Please contact Richard Pearce-Moses Director of Digital Government Information Voice: 602.926.3810 Fax: 602.256.7983 Email: rpm@lib.az.us Janet Fisher Director, Law and Research Library Division Voice: 602.926.3870 Fax: 602.256.7984 Email: jafishe@lib.az.us
Phoenix 4 Feb 2002 Contact: PageMaster		Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records State Capitol · 1700 W. Washington, Suite 200 · Phoenix, AZ 85007 Ph: 602.926.4035 · 1-800-255-5841 (AZ Only) · Fax: 602.256.7983