Panels
Clare Thornley, Ian Cornelius (UCD, Ireland), Birger Hjorland (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Unity in LIS theory, for and against: unity in diversity or irreconcilable conflict?
The objective of this session was to present different arguments for and against unity in LIS to provide different perspectives on the conference themes, in particular, 'theoretical and conceptual approaches to the study of the communication of information’, and provide a forum for debate and discussion.
Jenna Hartel (Toronto) Moderator, Jonathan Furner (UCLA), Ross Todd (Rutgers), Birger Hjorland (Copenhagen), Jens-Erik Mai (Toronto), Siobhan Stevenson (Toronto), Steve Fuller (Warwick)
Metatheoretical snowmen
This panel aimed to demystify methatheory by addressing the matter in a playful, comparative, competitive spirit. Articulate champions of five major metatheories were given an opportunity to cast their metatheory onto the life and information experience of an ordinary and affable persona: a snowman.
Andrew Dillon (U Texas, Austin, USA), France Bouthillier (McGill,Canada) Dianne Sonnewald (Dublin, Ireland), David Bawden (City University London)
The LIS Domain: Emerging, Expanding, Blending or Collapsing?
The LIS field is considered by many within the discipline to be under threat. Once tied firmly to the organizational form of libraries, LIS researchers and practitioners are witnessing a shift in both the material nature of information resources and the expectations of expertise required to manage their collection and delivery. Among LIS programs there are challenges to the intellectual core of library and information science both from cognate disciplines and from university administrations concerned with relevance and educational impact. In this light, the four authors explore the question of where the LIS domain is heading: is the field in expansion, is it blending with other disciplines or perhaps even collapsing, or is it emerging as a new field.