Hello everyone,

 

These upcoming RLUK Digital Shift Forum events (featuring chair of CLIR’s board, Buhle Mbambo-Thata and former CLIR president Deanna Marcum, among others) may be of interest. Registration for all events is free.

 

Best,

Gayle

 

 

 

Dear Gayle,

I hope that you are well. Would you be willing to circulate this around a few CLIR DLF groups. We hope that a number of speakers might be of interest to the DLF community.

 

With very best wishes,

 

Matt

 

#RLUKDSF : Forthcoming seminars : Digital initiatives in Africa, a History of Library Digitisation, and Artificial Intelligence and the Law

 

The RLUK Digital Shift Forum will host three seminars in March and April. These will include speakers from the National University of Lesotho, Ithaka S+R, and the University of Surrey, each exploring different elements of the digital shift in research collections, services, and technologies.

 

Missed a previous seminar? See the recording here.

 

23 March 2022, 14.00-15.00 (GMT)

Digital initiatives in Africa: creating an environment for digital equity

Buhle Mbambo-Thata, University Librarian, The National University of Lesotho

 

The African content constitutes 4% of digital content worldwide. Furthermore, 20% of Africa’s population is below the age of 50. The youthfulness of the African population is the hope of the continent. It is anticipated that the youthful population would be consuming and contributing to development of Africa’s digital content. In order to contribute to the development of digital content, Africa and its youth needs, digital environments, infrastructures and digital skills to engage with creation of digital content from Africa. Such development will grow Africa’s content in digital spaces, enabling it to grow beyond 4%, an imperative for social justice. This paper explores Africa wide development initiatives around  digital infrastructure, creation of digital content and development of digital skills that will promote the digital equity in digital knowledge spaces.

 

Register for this event: here

 

13 April 2022, 14.00-15.00 (BST)

Along Came Google: A History of Library Digitization

Roger C. Schonfeld, Programme Director, and Deanna Marcum, Senior Advisor, Ithaka S+R

The history of library digitization can provide many important lessons for library leaders today. In this session, Deanna Marcum and Roger Schonfeld, authors of the recently published Along Came Google (Princeton University Press), will have a conversation about some of the key issues.

They will discuss…

• Collaboration among libraries and with third party catalysts and partners, including commercial organizations;
• The Google program’s incredible success — from Google’s perspective – and just how transformational it actually was (and was not) for access; and
• The enduring importance of strong leadership.

Deanna and Roger look forward to discussing these and other issues together and with the Digital Shift Forum participants. 

Register for this event: here

 

20 April 2022, 16.00-17.00 (BST)

The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law

Ryan Abbott, Professor of Law and Health Sciences, University of Surrey and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA

AI and people do not compete on a level-playing field. Self-driving vehicles may be safer than human drivers, but laws often penalize such technology. People may provide superior customer service, but businesses are automating to reduce their taxes. AI may innovate more effectively, but an antiquated legal framework constrains inventive AI. In The Reasonable Robot, Ryan argues that the law should not discriminate between AI and human behaviour and proposes a new legal principle that will ultimately improve human well-being.

Register for this event: here

 

We hope to see you at one of these forthcoming events.

 

With very best wishes,

 

Matt

 

Matthew Greenhall PhD

Deputy Executive Director

Research Libraries UK

 

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Office: 020 7862 8643

Mobile: 07432 768566

Website: www.rluk.ac.uk

 

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