Apply for graduate student stipends to attend "Beyond Books" through March 15
http://journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/2011/03/03/fellowships
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Up to 10 fellowships, consisting of registration,
travel and lodging stipends for graduate students, are available to attend
"Beyond Books: News, Literacy, Democracy & America's Libraries," an
unprecedented collaboration of journalists and librarians set for April
6-8 at the MIT Center for Future Civic Media.
The two-day, agenda-setting work session and symposium will consider how
journalists and librarians can work together to promote civic engagement
and open information access. It is designed to amplify the voices of
between 90 and 130 librarians, teachers, graduate students, journalists,
technologists, scholars and citizens in dialog, discussion and work.
The event is immediately before the National Conference for Media Reform,
in Boston, April 8-10. (http://conference.freepress.net )
HOW TO APPLY
Graduate students in library and information sciences or journalism are
eligible. Send an email to jtm@journalismthatmatters.orgmailto:jtm@journalismthatmatters.org or register
directly for the gathering via http://www.biblionews.org and choose the
$20 .request stipend. option. Applications will be considered, and award
amounts determined, based on need, timeliness and the relevance of an
applicant’s experience or research focus.
For more information go to:
http://journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/2011/03/03/fellowships/
Find out who's participating:
http://www.journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/whos-coming
DETAILS BELOW
==========================
Available funds will reimburse travel, lodging and registration expenses
of at least 10 "fellows" -- U.S. library or information-science graduate
students or recognized thought leaders (by publication or reputation) in
civic engagement and open information access -- especially those with
knowledge of new media technologies.
"Beyond Books" will inform next steps for designing and implementing a
possible national collaborative among, and training for, journalists,
libraries and museums on methods for improving open access to public
information and civic engagement -- consistent with the recommendations of
the 2009-2010 report of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of
Communities.
The event seeks to identity recruit, and begin training journalists,
technologists and other members of the public to uncover, study and test
new methods of access to public information and civic engagement,
particularly in common purpose between and among libraries, journalists
and local news providers. It will:
(a) Outreach to library and information science thought leaders,
especially graduate students, for their participation both onsite and
through pre- and post-event virtual proceedings and networking.
(b) Prepare, convene, report and provide post-event assessment and next
steps for "Beyond Books: News, Literacy, Democracy and America's
Libraries."
CONVENING PURPOSE / APPROACH
For three centuries -- in American towns large and small -- two
institutions have uniquely marked a commitment to participatory democracy,
learning and open inquiry -- our libraries and our free press. Today,
economic and political realities -- or fashions -- invite a thoughtful
examination of their roles, and the opportunity for collaboration among
these two historic community information centers, one largely public, one
largely private.
With via a pre-event social network, an evening agenda-setting dialogue, a
day of roundtable planning and closing action commitments, we'll discover
what’s possible at the intersection of public spaces, open documents,
citizen reporting and journalistic purpose. Among the questions we may
ask:
* What might libraries do to facilitate community social news
networks?
* Must free speech be absolute within a taxpayer-supported
institution?
* Should librarians be more partisan than reporters? Reporters more
partisan than librarians?
* Are libraries poised to become public-access media centers as cable
fades?
* Should a library operate a news collective, non-profit or
citizen-journalism service?
* How can libraries help preserve a free digital information commons?
To download a printable version of this stipend posting notice go to:
http://www.newshare.com/biblionews/fellowships.pdf
For a narrative description of the event purpose and general posting
notice see:
http://www.newshare.com/biblionews/overview.pdf
STIPEND CRITERIA/SELECTION
Selection of Fellows will be based upon the following guiding criteria:
* Graduate students enrolled in an accredited U.S. school of library
and information science, a journalism graduate program or in a
professional position undertaking research or practice of library civic
engagement, social-media technology application or new applications of
digital media to open information access.
* Graduate students should ideally demonstrate interest, experience
or expertise in applying new technology or community engagement or
collaboration strategies among libraries, news and cable public-access
entities, either profit or not-for profit.
* Prospective stipend recipients will apply by registering to attend
the conference. Allocation of travel, lodging and registration stipends
will be determined by a selection group including Dietmar Wolfram,
interim dean, School of Information Studies, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Nancy C. Kranich, advisory board chair, American
Library Association's Center for Public Life, (and past ALA president) /
Rutgers Univ. library, Highland Park, N.J.; and Bill Densmore, director,
Media Giraffe Project at UMass Amherst and co-founder, Journalism That
Matters.
"Beyond Books" sponsors include the Institute for Museum and Library
Services (IMLS); the Office of Information Technology Policy of the
American Library Association; the MIT Center for Future Civic Media;
Journalism That Matters; the Media Giraffe Project and New England News
Forum, both at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and others. The
conference is organized in part of a three-year IMLS grant to the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: "Overcoming Barriers to Information
Access: Educating the Next Generation of Library and Information Science
Leaders."
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Journalism That Matters Collaborative / c/o Media Giraffe Project /
Journalism Program / University of Massachusetts / Amherst MA 01003 /
413-458-8001 / densmore@mediagiraffe.orgmailto:densmore@mediagiraffe.org