Keynote Speaker

Chris Dodge

AKA "The Street Librarian"

Photo from street librarian

Things Librarians Say They Do But Really Don't

What does it mean to be a librarian? Are "access," "diversity," and
"equality" empty words? Librarian-at-large Chris Dodge examines some
professed library standards, compares them to actual practice, and
aspires to clarify the difference between pragmatism and professional
laziness.

Brief Biography:   Chris Dodge is best known as Utne magazine's Street Librarian columnist and frequent essayist, but he is also the magazine's librarian and a longtime public library worker, library critic and library lover. His article "Knowledge for sale: Are America's public libraries on the verge of losing their way?" ( Utne , July/August 2005) created a buzz in the library world with its reasoned and compelling thoughts on the corporatization of libraries, the trend toward libraries as entertainment, and the darker side of digitized texts. Prior to joining the Utne staff, Chris was employed as a cataloger at Hennepin County Library. Working closely with Sanford Berman, Chris helped to create what, in his words, "may have been the most accessible library catalog ever," adding many non-standard access points to the traditional bibliographic records. "The result was a living, intuitive search engine -- an intricate, human-made network of cross-references, a kind of collective art form." Chris Dodge has a lot to say, and he says it clearly, eloquently and with unusual insight.  A visit to the Street Librarian's website will give one a glimpse into the mind of our keynote speaker, Chris Dodge.

We are excited to have Chris Dodge come to Tuscon to be a part of our Symposium.