MIAMI BEACH, FL (AUGUST 23, 2007)—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has made an award of $499,702 to The Wolfsonian-Florida International University to plan and co-host the 2008 and 2009 WebWise Conferences on Libraries and Museums in the Digital World. The Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA), which serves Florida’s institutions of higher education, is also a partner.

“WebWise is a signature initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services,” said IMLS director Anne-Imelda M. Radice. “This year it will be better than ever. The partnership with the Wolfsonian-FIU will allow us to offer it in the South for the first time. We look forward to working with the Florida team.”

Each year the WebWise Conference brings together approximately 350 representatives of museums, libraries, archives, information and systems science, and other fields interested in the future of high-quality online content for inquiry and education. The annual conference shares new research and innovations in digital technology with technical experts and thought leaders from the library, archives, and museum fields in order to enhance technology transfer among cultural heritage institutions nationwide and to promote institutional collaboration. It also provides grant recipients the opportunity to showcase exemplary projects and to demonstrate the impact of federal funding on the development and improvement of library and museum services. The conference has been co-hosted in previous years by the University of Missouri at Columbia, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, OCLC, Inc., and the J. Paul Getty Trust, in collaboration with IMLS.

The 2008 WebWise Conference will be held in Miami Beach, Florida, with tentative dates of March 5-7. The conference theme is “WebWise 2.0: The Power of Community.” Sessions will emphasize the ability of institutions to provide unfettered access to their collections and to reach a broad public audience by developing innovative ways to involve users in a digital environment. Projects featuring museum and library resources, the paths to their discovery, and digital tools to help institutions and users effectively manage, manipulate, present and use digital content will be featured in plenary sessions and demonstrations. Half-day workshops requiring separate registration will be offered on the first day, with the main conference taking place over the next two days. Online registration for all events will be available through the IMLS Web site in Fall 2007. Dates for the 2009 conference, which will be held in Washington, DC., will be announced later.

Members of the 2008 Program Committee are: Cathy Leff, director of the Wolfsonian-FIU; Priscilla Caplan, assistant director for Digital Library Services, Florida Center for Library Automation; Paul Marty, assistant professor of Information Studies, Florida State University; Joyce Ray, associate deputy director for Library Services, IMLS; Bernard Reilly, president, Center for Research Libraries; Marsha Semmel, deputy director for Museums, IMLS; and Robert Semper, executive associate director of the Exploratorium Museum.

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 122,000 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.

About The Wolfsonian–Florida International University
The Wolfsonian–FIU is a museum and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, political, and technological changes that have transformed the world. The approximately 120,000 artifacts that comprise The Wolfsonian collection range from fine art, graphic design, and political propaganda to furniture, rare books, and ephemeral materials such as postcards and travel brochures. Since opening to the public just ten years ago, The Wolfsonian has developed and disseminated critically acclaimed exhibitions, publications, and educational programs that highlight the impact of design in shaping the modern world. Its vast patrimony of primary source materials provides unparalleled opportunities for scholarship and appreciation, making it a unique resource for local, national, and international audiences.

The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Fla. Admission is $7 adults; $5 seniors, students, and children six-12; free for Wolfsonian members, State University System of Florida staff and students with ID, children under six, and Miami Beach residents with ID. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm; Thursday and Friday from noon-9pm; and is closed on Wednesday. Contact us at 305.531.1001 or visit us online at www.wolfsonian.org.

The Wolfsonian receives ongoing support from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; Crispin Porter + Bogusky; Continental Airlines, the preferred airline of The Wolfsonian; the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation; and Karla Conceptual Event Experiences.

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