Whither Recon?
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2006 16:13:30 -0500
From: “Shreeves, Edward”
Whither Recon?
Not much has moved forward with the Recon challenge since the annual
conference and the work done at the end of 2005 immediately following
the Janus Conference. Finding a mutually convenient time for a
conference call seems futile, so Dan and I would like to get some
discussion going via email. During a conference call of the Janus
Steering Committee on 9/18 we discussed some of the possible directions
for this group. That Committee has asked for a “paragraph” describing
where we-the Recon group–are going, in part to help some of the members
who will be presenting about the Janus challenges at Charleston and
elsewhere. So Dan has drafted some thoughts which appear in the
attachment, and I’ve appended below some observations and questions that
we hope will provoke response and discussion among our group, in hopes
that we can get some collective thinking about what we should be about.
Over the next few days please take a look at Dan’s piece and the
questions raised there and below, then send your thoughts and ideas to
the group.
* Are the various recon efforts now underway and likely to emerge
in the future too far along and too tied up with competitive forces to
be subject to coordination from an external group? Should we-perhaps we
have no choice but to-let them go forward and make what use we can of
their outputs.
* Is the whole concept of a coordinated RECON project simply too
unmanageable, to far along, to accomplish? If not, where and how do we
start. If so, are there elements of it that are achievable and worth
devoting time and resources to? If so, what are they?
* From the start we have talked about the idea of a national
invitational meeting among major players in the arena (the composition
of the invited group has varied depending on the objectives of the
meeting). CLIR under Nancy Davenport had indicated an interest in
supporting such a meeting, but her departure has left that commitment in
limbo. Is this still a viable idea? Premature? Pointless? If worth
pursuing, can we define the agenda and purpose of such a meeting?
Edward Shreeves
Associate University Librarian &
Director, Collections and Content Development
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, IA 52242
Email: edward-shreeves@uiowa.edu