Create, innovate, collaborate to build library innovation

There are three keynote speakers at this year's Internet Librarian International conference, talking about accelerating innovation, harnessing the power of community and collaboration and celebrating the love of libraries.


ILI's opening keynote speaker Yvonne Campfens has worked alongside many startups in the scholarly communications ecosystem. In her opening session at ILI on Tuesday 15 October, she will encourage delegates to accelerate innovation through collaboration across information sectors.

"I believe that there is no industry that will not be affected by the internet and business model challenges," explains Yvonne. "It has been and is happening everywhere. The big unknown is when the changes will really hit and hurt. And the really interesting question is: what will you do?"

Yvonne believes that every organisation needs the ability to act and adapt fast. "From my market research, I know there is a lot of innovation led by autonomous new players, including startups.  These startups can be the key to dealing with changes in customers, markets or  technology. The idea, as described in the book Corporate Venturing, is to build your ecosystem of value by investing in a 'smart fleet'. This is a metaphor for a powerful concept ... Sticking to nautical terminology: upgrade your mothership and, at the same time, build collaboration with agile speedboats. It’s not either/or: the strength lies in doing both."

Day 2 of ILI will feature a keynote from Kajal Odedra, Executive Director of Change.org and author of the new book Do Something: Activism for Everyone. In her talk ‘Harnessing the power of community’, Kajal will talk about engaging hearts and minds and the power of communities to bring about collaborative change.

ILI’s closing keynote will come from MEP Silvia Modig, who is also President of the Finnish Library Association. In her keynote ‘Libraries in Finland – a good news story’ she describes Finland’s enthusiastic embrace of libraries, and considers what lessons can be learned from this approach.

The ILI conference programme features over 70 speakers. The emphasis is on case studies, providing insight, inspiration, and ideas for information professionals from every type of library setting and from all over the world.

Delegates can move freely between 6 tracks over the two days:

  • Users and UX with sessions on UX research and service redesign and AR, VR and UX .
  • New visions, new strategies including sessions on tools for strategic redesign, and evolutionary change.
  • Digital, diverse disrupted with sessions on developing digital inclusion, and tech for engagement.
  • The digital scholar includes virtual content for the virtual scholar, collaborative learning partnerships, and research, repositories and RDM.
  • The rebooted librarian looks at STEM in libraries, digital skills, and the futureproof librarian.
  • Magical marketing features sessions on reaching your audience, amplifying engagement, and podcasting.

Internet Librarian International (ILI) will take place at Olympia, London on 15–16 October, with workshops on 14 October.

ILI's Early Bird rates are available until 13 September , and there is a range of ticket options and discounts to choose from. More information and sign up here: http://www.internet-librarian.com/2019