The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release with important links can be viewed on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2010/022410.shtm 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24, 2010

Are you UpNext?
Share your thoughts on the Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites you to help invent the future of museums and libraries through your participation in UpNext: The Future of Museums and Libraries Wiki. IMLS's first-ever wiki is a platform where individuals inside and outside of museums, libraries, and related fields can discuss, dissect, expand, and inform the issues outlined in the Future of Museums and Libraries: A Discussion Guide. IMLS will use the knowledge shared in the wiki to help shape the agency's strategic plan, research directions, publications, convenings, and grant making. The wiki will be officially launched March 3, but is open for registration now. 

In these tough economic times, strategic thinking is a wise investment in the future. Whether you work in, partner with, study, volunteer, visit or are just plain interested in museums and libraries and passionate about how they can continue to thrive in their service to the public-you have an opinion to be shared!

The wiki will be an opportunity to share resources, examples of what works, and vexing questions. We hope that it will be a thought provoking five weeks for all participants and provide food for thought for your career, your institution and the choices you face. 

Nine discussion themes and one theme on next steps will each be featured on the wiki for a two-week period, introduced by expert discussion leaders. The themes and discussion leaders include: 

March 3-16
1. Changing Definitions & Roles of Museums and Libraries 
Martín Gómez, City Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library Shifts in Power & Authority
2. Beth Takekawa, Executive Director, Wing Luke Asian Museum
Cassie Chin, Deputy Executive Director, Wing Luke Asian Museum 

March 17-30
3. Museums & Libraries as the "Third Place"
Susan Hildreth, City Librarian, Seattle Public Library
4. Technology & Policy Development
John Wilkin, Associate University Librarian for Library Information Technology (LIT), University of Michigan, Executive Director of HathiTrust 

March 31-April 13
5. 21st Century Learning & Information Use
Tom Scheinfeldt, Managing Director for Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, OMEKA Project Director 
6. New Models & Structures for Collaboration
Mark Wright, Director of Partnerships, National Children's Museum 

April 14-27
7. Planning for a Sustainable Future
Emlyn Koster, President & CEO, Liberty Science Center
8. Metrics for Evaluating Service & Impact
John Fraser, Director, Institute for Learning Innovation-New York 

April 28-May 12
9. The 21st Century Museum & Library Workforce 
Joanne Marshall, Alumni Distinguished Professor, School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
10. UpNext: Where Do We Go From Here?
Larry Johnson, CEO, The New Media Consortium

May 19
Last official "Wiki Wednesday" IMLS will post wiki final summary.

Each theme will have a unique wiki page describing the theme and posing questions for discussion. Wiki users will be able to respond and comment on the questions, as well as pose new questions and thoughts particular to that theme.
Wiki users will also be able to build a collaborative bibliography on the wiki and share existing projects at their own institutions or others, which are relevant to the discussion themes. A unique page will also exist for educators and students to share how the wiki, the Discussion Guide, and other resources on the future of museums and libraries are or can be used in professional education. 

If you have any questions or comments regarding the wiki or the Discussion Guide, please feel free to contact Mamie Bittner, [log in to unmask] or Erica Pastore, [log in to unmask] 

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services 
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.