Classification & Ontology, 19-20 September, The Hague

Invitation...

CLASSIFICATION & ONTOLOGY: Formal Approaches and Access to Knowledge

International UDC Seminar 2011
9-20 September, The Hague, Netherlands

VENUE: Koninklijke Bibliotheek
FEE: €200 (€170 students)

The conference fee includes the conference proceedings book published by Ergon Verlag, refreshments, reception and two lunches.

To secure your place at this event register online.

Ontology-like representations of classifications are recognized as potentially important facilitators in creating a web of linked data. The conference keynote speaker is Professor Patrick Hayes, one of the key players in the Semantic Web initiative and the development of RDF, OWL and SPARQL. His talk entitled "On being the same" will remind us of some oddities and internal inconsistencies in data found on the Web, as the Semantic web starts to take shape with the rise of linked data.

Following the keynote address we will hear a selection of speakers from the domains of web technology, ontology, knowledge organization and bibliographic classification, including Dan Brickley, Guus Schreiber, Thomas Baker, Dagobert Soergel, Roberto Poli, Ingetraut Dahlberg, Barbara Kwasnik, Rebecca Green, Michael Panzer, Marcia Zeng, Daniel Kless, Joan Mitchell, Richard Smiraglia, Vanda Broughton, Devika Madalli, Claudio Gnoli and more.

Read more in the conference Programme (linked to abstracts and speakers biographies)

Review of Conference - Facets of Knowledge Organization

The second biennial ISKO UK Conference now has a full review on its own blog page.

Facets of Knowledge Organization - ISKO UK Conference 2011

The second biennial conference, in honour of the life and achievements of Brian C. Vickery, was a great success. Opening with an insightful address by Stephen Robertson, from Microsoft Research, on On Retrieval System Theory, the conference attracted a wide range of speakers, poster presenters, and attendees.

Highlights included the keynote addresses by Professor Amanda Spink, Liz Orna, and Patrick Lambe. Professor Spink called for further study of human behaviour and psychology to help people develop and enhance their information skills in the digital age. Liz Orna emphasized the importance of visualizations and graphics for communication. Patrick Lambe described the importance of knowledge organization in science and called for information professionals to look to the big picture to find ways of being useful and innovative, not just professionally but for society as a whole.

Review of conference paper submissions

The Conference Review Panel have been busy reviewing submissions of proposals of papers and posters for the forthcoming ISKO UK 2011 Conference. The proposals cover a huge range of fascinating topics, from analyses of broad cultural issues to technical descriptions of metadata projects and software developments. A noticeable trend is the huge amount of innovation that is taking place in knowledge organisation, encompassing academic research into sophisticated semantic systems as well as practical case studies in how new technology can help professionals. However, it is also heartening to see serious reflection and assessment of topics that only a few years ago were at the cutting edge. This combination of “pace layers” – rapid innovation along with thoughtful analysis – illustrates the richness of the knowledge organisation field and the benefits of strong contacts between the research and practitioner communities.

The key themes of the conference:

• Classification, information retrieval
• Semantics and the Web
• Putting the user first
• Evaluation and testing
• Society, networking and collaboration
• Models and structure

have all been well represented, which will make for a balanced and highly informative event.

It is also pleasing to see the number of proposals from people based outside the UK and the diversity of their interests and experiences. This is surely fitting for a conference held in honour of Professor Brian C Vickery, whose intellect and interests ranged far and wide.

The authors of successful proposals will be informed by 1st February 2011.