About the Conference
How the Exchange Works
The Best Practices Exchange is not a traditional conference; there are no speakers in the traditional sense of the word. Instead there will be facilitated large group sessions and small group topic-based discussion sessions conducted throughout the two and a half day meeting. The small group exchange sessions will be conducted simultaneously allowing for more in-depth and intimate "round table" type discussion. Attendees who have expressed interest in presenting and sharing specifics of their experiences on a particular topic will lead exchange session discussions. Experienced persons from the sponsoring Montana state agencies will be on hand to facilitate. Participants in each session will contribute to the discussion by sharing their own experiences, ideas, and knowledge. The major themes and ideas generated from the sessions will be discussed at the large group sessions.
Opening Group Discussion
The opening forum will begin with introductions from the attendees and move into a facilitated discussion of the critical issues involved in creating digital information programs within state government. The forum will use discussion questions to foster a deeper collective understanding of issues in the digital era.
Jennie Stapp, Chairperson for Best Practices Exchange 2008, will be the Master of Ceremonies for the conference. She will be facilitating the open discussion.
Exchange Sessions
The discussion sessions will cover five broad tracks related to digital information in the government environment. The specific content of each session, however, will be determined by the meeting attendees who have agreed to present their experience and session participants who participate in the discussion. Each exchange session will have a facilitator who will be responsible for keeping the discussion on topic and fully interactive and participatory. Results of each exchange session will be shared and discussed in the Closing Wrap-Up session.
Tracks
Read descriptions of each of the five conference tracks.
- Identification & Acquisition
- Description
- Discovery & Access
- Collection Management & Preservation
- Project Management
Guest Speakers
Our keynote speaker scheduled for Wednesday afternoon is Roy Tennant, Senior Program Manager, OCLC. The keynote address will be made in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the Montana Capitol.
The Thursday morning group session will focus on marketing and grant writing. Guest speakers will be Sara Groves, MSL Marketing and Communications Coordinator, and Lucy Barber, National Historical Publications and Records Commission Direct for Technology Initiatives.
Evening Events
Transportation will be provided for all events. See conference schedule for event details.
Sunset Over the Continental Divide
Photo by Cheryl Aldrich
- Wednesday evening, there will be a reception hosted by the Internet Archive at the Montana Historical Society.
- Thursday evening, there will be a BBQ and a guided boat tour on Holter Lake through the Gates of the Mountains. Holter Lake is an impoundment of the Missouri River which has been used by humans from time immemorial for sacred activities and commerce. Gates of the Mountains was named by Lewis and Clark.
- Friday evening, there will be a no-host, cowboy meal, horse-drawn wagon ride, and entertainment at the Last Chance Ranch. The price is $69 including transportation to the ranch. You may select this optional event during the online conference registraton process.
Closing Group Discussion
The closing wrap-up session will sum up the issues discussed in the exchange sessions, offer suggestions for moving forward, and facilitate discussion and input from participants for next steps. Jennie Stapp, BPE 2008 Conference chairperson, will facilitate this discussion.