Reference and Information Service Section Conference and Exhibition 6-8 September 1999, Sydney Hilton, Australia

PLENARY SPEAKERS

John Lubans

John Lubans, Jr. is the Deputy University Librarian at Duke University with direct administrative responsibility for cataloguing and acquisitions and library facilities and planning. Previous positions have included responsibility for public services and collection development at the University of Colorado, Boulder and Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute.

He holds Master of Arts degrees from the University of Michigan School of Library and Information Science and from the University of Houston's Program in Public Administration.

An active and long term member of the American Library Association, he is immediate past chair of the Library Administration and Management Association's Publications Committee and the Technical Services Directors of Large Research Libraries.

Beth McLaren

Beth McLaren is the Manager of the Sydney Institute of Technology Library, Ultimo, the largest TAFE Library in Australia. Prior to this she was a Senior Curriculum Advisor with the NSW Department of Education. She led the team responsible for the development of OASIS Library, the automated software package used by all NSW government school libraries, and by libraries in a number of other systems She has many years teaching experience in secondary schools and has lectured in a part-time capacity in the Department of Information Studies, University of Technology, Sydney.

Within ALIA, she was, President of the School Libraries' Section (NSW Group); of the TAFE Libraries' Section (NSW Group) and of NSW Branch Council. She served on the National Sections of both School Libraries and TAFE Libraries. Beth is currently the NSW Councilor on General Council, and a member of the executive of General Council.

Tim Owen

Tim is head of policy & communications at the Library & Information Commission, a public body, which advises the UK government on library and information matters and draws it's attention to emerging trends. Previously he was principal information officer at the London Research Centre, and he has also worked in London's City Business Library and Westminster Reference Library. He was formerly a regular contributor to Information World Review and currently co-edits Business Information Review. He is the author of the best-selling Library Association publication Success at the Enquiry Desk, and was a founder member of the Coalition for Public Information.

Barbara Buckley

Barbara Buckley is a research programme manager with the Library and Information Commission with responsibility for the cooperation and value and impact and International research programmes. Before joining the department she ran the Library and Information Plan for South West London for six years and was an active member of LIPLINC Panel and Library and Information Cooperation Council (LINC) - professional bodies interested in library cooperation across the UK. Amongst previous jobs she worked on the European Commission National bibliographies on CD-ROM project for the British Library and ran an international research library on communications. She also currently co-edits Business Information Review and is a founder member of the Coalition for Public Information.

Maxine Brodie

Maxine Brodie was appointed as Director, Information Technology at the State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia in November 1996 and is a member of the NSW Government Information Management Framework Working Party and the Standards Association of Australia Committee IT/19. Prior to this Maxine was Associate University Librarian (Resources) at the University of Technology, Sydney, where she played an active part over many years in IT Strategic Planning for both the Library and the University. Maxine has a strong professional interest in the role of IT in improving client service and has published several papers on library/IT planning and service issues.

Paul Twomey

Dr. Paul Twomey is Chief Executive Officer of Australia's National Office for the Information Economy, and the Australian governments Special Adviser for the Information Economy and Technology.

The National Office for the Information Economy (HYPERLINK http://www.noie.gov.au www.noie.gov.au ) has direct responsibility for developing and coordinating strategies to address the convergence of the information economy, information technology and telecommunications issues driven by the digital revolution.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Twomey held consecutive Executive General Manager positions with the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade); first as head of strategic development, and more recently as the leader of its operations throughout Europe. He was also the leader of Austrade's Global Information Technology and Telecommunications Network, assisting Australia's IT&T firms to market their products and services to key European, American and Asian markets.

Prior to this, Dr. Twomey was a consultant with global management consultancy McKinsey & Company. Dr. Twomey holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Cambridge. He is widely published in academic and popular journals.