1. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org Introducing IAALD Frontiers in Information management for the Bio- and environmental Sciences 25 January 2007 Peter Ballantyne

2. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org Vision the leading global community of practice for information specialists* in agriculture and related disciplines *people and institutions who are professionally involved in creating, capturing, accessing, or disseminating information and knowledge concerning agriculture and rural development

3. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org Who we are 1955 – set up as international association of agricultural librarians and documentalists 1990 – changed L and D to be ‘information specialists’ 2005 – core of ‘ag’ librarians + infospecialists, web and IT people, K- people, ag extension, ag educators, academics….

4. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org What we do IAALD connects agricultural information specialists worldwide –providing platforms and spaces for information dissemination, exchange, knowledge sharing, and learning convenesIAALD convenes agricultural information specialists worldwide –organising meetings and catalyzing dialogue among all agricultural information stakeholders

5. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org What we do IAALD communicates and advocates the value of knowledge and information to its members and others –improving the status and practice of agricultural information management and dissemination IAALD collaborates with members and other partner organisations –facilitating educational and other opportunities across agricultural information communities

6. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org How we operate Members (institutions, individuals, students) Executive Committee 2005-2010 –Elected members –Observers World Congresses Other events and sessions Chapters (china, central/east europe, africa) ‘Sisters’ (jaald, usain, aibda, fita’s, …) Website: www.iaald.org Listserver @ University Arizona Weblog: http://iaald.blogspot.com Quarterly Journal

7. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org Some highlights 2005 world congress (usa) 2006 africa congress and chapter 2008 world congress (japan) 2010 world congress (france) Soon – journal online (oa) Low-cost, participatory Web 2.0 approach Partnering

8. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org Web 2.0 the inspiration The web is shifting from an international library of interlinked pages to an information ecosystem, where data circulate like nutrients in a rain forest.” Information in this ecosystem is “analyzed, repackaged, digested, and passed on. It flows.” www.discover.com/issues/oct- 05/departments/emerging-technology/ The web is “shifting from being a medium in which information is transmitted and consumed, into being a platform, in which content was created, shared, remixed, repurposed, and passed along. http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&a rticle=29-1 http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&a rticle=29-1

9. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org

12. Getting involved? For members, by members Volunteering … Recruiting, promoting, marketing, … Organizing activities, events, … Contributing your news, your views, … Writing, reviewing, editing - for the QB, the blog, … discussing, sharing, connecting on the listserver … Joint chapter..

13. www.iaald.org info@iaald.org www.iaald.org