Event: Sofia 2006, 8-10 November, 2006 (and call for papers)

Sofia 2006: Globalization, Digitization, Access and Preservation of Cultural Heritage, will be held 8-10 November, 2006, at the Hotel Rodina, Sofia, Bulgaria. Sofia 2006 is part of an international conference series hosted by the School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University, Kansas, the Department of Library and Information Sciences, University of Sofia, and Seton Hall University Libraries, New Jersey. Conferences have been held in Kansas City, Kansas (1995), Warsaw, Poland (1997), and Sofia, Bulgaria (2000, 2002, & 2004). The members of the Conference Organizing Committee invite you to participate in this biennial international conference that brings together experts concerned with the effects of globalization and change on the development of libraries, information infrastructure, and society.

You are invited to submit papers for presentation at Sofia 2006 on topics related to the themes of the conference:

• Libraries, museums, archives, and record centers
• Digitization and access
• Intellectual property
• National and international information policies and projects
• Preservation
• National libraries
• Association initiatives
• Library/information science education
• Collaboration and cooperation
• Digital libraries

Abstracts of no more than 150 words will be accepted via e-mail (please no attachments) until Saturday, 3 June 2006. Participants from Central and Eastern Europe are asked to submit their abstracts to Prof. Alexander Dimchev at dimchev_uni@abv.bg. Participants from the rest of the world are asked to submit their abstracts to Prof. Herbert Achleitner at achleith@emporia.edu. Notification of acceptance will be sent by 24 June. Accepted papers must be submitted by 14 October for inclusion in the conference proceedings.

Students are invited to participate in a poster session to be held parallel to the main conference. For more information, visit the Sofia 2006 website: http://slim.emporia.edu/globenet/Sofia2006/Index.htm.

Registration information can be found at http://slim.emporia.edu/globenet/Sofia2006/Registration.htm. Registration fees include the conference and pre-conference materials, meals during the conference, and pre-conference lunch and banquet. The Hotel Rodina is offering a special conference rate when booked through the conference registration.

Two optional tours are being arranged by Balkan Connections - a multi-day tour of archeological and cultural sites in western Bulgaria with the opportunity to visit libraries, and a day tour of Sofia. Both tours will take place prior to the conference and more information will soon be posted on the Sofia 2006 website.

Please circulate this announcement to other appropriate channels.

Thank you,
Rebecca Miller
Marketing Chair
millerre@emporia.edu

Conference Organizing Committee Chairs:
Prof. Herbert Achleitner
School of Library & Information Management Emporia State University Emporia, Kansas, USA
E-mail: achleith@emporia.edu

Prof. Alexander Dimchev
Dean, Faculty of Philosophy
University of Sofia
Sofia , Bulgaria
E-mail: dimchev_uni@abv.bg

Prof. Howard F. McGinn
Dean of University Libraries
Seton Hall University
South Orange, New Jersey, USA
E-mail: mcginnho@shu.edu