Topic Maps 2008 : Libraries, Information Architecture, stuff that matters

Hi folks. It's been a little while since my last confession, but rest assured I haven't been resting. The international move have gone mostly good, and we're slowing down and settling in, and my new / old job at Bekk Consulting is fantastic (and I'm re-learning just how much fun you have when you're also extremely effective and professional ... Thanks Frode for luring me back here). But before I leap into song about our new life, there's some professional news I need to tell you about;

From the 2nd to the 4th of April this year (so, in just over two weeks) the Topic Maps 2008 conference is happening here in Oslo, Norway. The lineup of speakers and topics look absolutely fascinating, and should have something for everyone, not just people who know anything at all about Topic Maps. I'm featured in two areas I know a few bits and bobs about ;

The first is my vision for a Topic Mapped library world, in which I explain why Topic Maps is more than just the perfect fit for what the library world is trying to achieve, but how the library world will forever lurch in the shadows of knowledge management and education support if they don't adopt it. This "talk" is deliberately made shorter so that people interested in all things library can have a fruitful discussion. Those who know me (fours years at the National Library of Australia up until a few months ago) know how vocal I can be about library processes and cultural baggage, but there's no denying that I'm passionate about it, and I'm passionate about it because I love the library world so and want it to thrive. And Topic Maps might just be the thing to do it.

Second, I'm holding a tutorial (half-day with lots of coffee and pens and post-it notes and bad jokes) in Topic Mapping and Information Architecture. This is not a lecture, but an experiment and demonstration of how Topic Maps is, yet again, a perfect fit for those who take Information Architecture seriously. The more information you've got, my thinking goes, the more you need a great tool like Topic Maps. Let's try it out and see. This is a practical tutorial based on my presentation "Sexier, faster, smarter information architecture with Topic Maps" that I held at OzIA 2006.

There's still space left and I would encourage readers with the opportunity to come to Hotel Bristol at the beginning of April to join me there, not because I'm talking or presenting, but because of all the other stuff that's happening, like the fabulous David Weinberger with his equally profound (yup, seen it before and loved it, and yes, looking forward to seeing it again!) presentation "Everything is Miscellaneous", which for any Information architect is a pure must-see!

I'm very excited about this conference, because there's going to be some of the smartest people I know in the world there (albeit missing Scott Berkun, and, err, not including myself in that list, of course :), and my inferior-complex will surely cause my own imploding. Wish me luck, and I hope to see you there.