January / February 2001 Vol. 33, no. 1

ASTED 2000

Raymonde Cyrenne
Canadian Literature Research Service

This past November, representatives from the National Library of Canada participated in the 27th annual conference of the Association pour l’avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED). The theme of this year’s conference was "Interconnexion compétences, technologies et savoirs". This gathering of information technology specialists concluded that the profession is in a period of growth and must come to terms with a variety of technical tools in order to better meet client needs. The opening session, given by Roy Tennant from the United States, was entitled "Infotechnology with a Pulse: Interconnection of Librarians and Machines".

During the three-day conference, the various themes addressed in the technical and thematic workshops dealt with strategic management of information, management of information services, implementation of watchdog groups, electronic libraries and books, and copyright. Between the information sessions and workshops, conference participants were able to visit the exhibition area and thus become familiar with various library products and services.

The National Library took the opportunity to launch the 2000 edition of Read Up On It, its annual bilingual guide to the best in Canadian children’s literature.

	Read Up On It: A Symphony of Words has music as its theme and a vibrant image from Michèle Lemieux’s The Pied Piper of Hamelin on its cover. The launch added to the lighthearted mood of the conference.