Keynote: Questions? Patterns. Answers?

Reference service remains committed to connecting people to the information they need. And while that is often reduced to a short-form of questions and answers, providers know that the right connections are more complex, especially in a virtual transaction. As information becomes seemingly easier and our profession adapts to new technologies and human needs, what might be the future for reference? By using one of the core tools of futurists - the observation of trends and changes - this session will try to consider some of the new developments that may change the future of virtual reference and how we can work together to create better answers to our own futures.

Miguel Figueroa works at the Center for the Future of Libraries (www.ala.org/libraryofthefuture), an initiative from the American Library Association. He has previously held positions at the American Theological Library Association; ALA’s Office for Diversity and Office for Literacy and Outreach Services; NYU’s Ehrman Medical Library; and Neal-Schuman Publishers. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Knowledge River Program, an initiative that examines library issues from Hispanic and Native American perspectives.