Keynote Sessions

Opening Session Keynote, Thursday March 29: Michael Eric Dyson
· Librarians potentially have greater responsibility in enhancing students’ education than classroom teachers might because we are a constant figure from one academic year to the next
· Librarians are not just preservers of information, we are liberators of information; we must disseminate information when, where, and to whom it is needed
· We need to embrace our culture as it is and teach from the vantage point of legitimacy and inclusion: Shakespeare alongside Tupac; rappers are highly literate individuals (have to be in order to string together elaborate lyrics that not only make sense but rhyme!) and if they are who our students will connect to, use them as examples
· Recognize that it isn’t a lack of desire to learn, so much as a lack of accessibility

Keynote Luncheon, Friday March 30: John Waters
While much of John Waters’ speech reflected his classically off-color style (as it should), and perhaps shouldn’t be shared on our professional blog, I’m noting the highlights here – but I’ll be happy to give you a full recap if you like!
· Libraries are all about free, but perhaps we should change that mantra: make people pay to get *out* of the library
· We have to make books cool again; translate classics into Ebonics if that will connect with young people
· It’s impossible to commit a crime while reading a book: promoting literacy/libraries might curb violence
· Be provocative and you’ll attract new, younger users

Closing Session Keynote, Sunday April 1: Nina Totenberg
· The role of reporters getting to and disseminating information in our democratic society is changing
· The ship of State is the only one that leaks from the top
· Government’s job is to keep secrets; journalists’ job is to find them out
· Leaking information cannot be a one way street that only benefits the government; without leaks, the public wouldn’t know about a lot of important events/issues in history (Watergate)
· In life, not everyone is a diligent as librarians
· Fears that people only read what they agree with because the amount of information that we should be reading growing exponentially
· Loss of exposure to articles you *think* you aren’t interested in reading is the greatest detriment to reading newspapers online and not by physically turning pages