Stephens, Bell Headline 2014 Amigos Member Conference
Dr. Michael Stephens and Dr. Steven J. Bell are the featured speakers for the online 2014 Amigos Member Conference, "Striking a Balance: Positive Practices in Libraries," May 14-15. Dr. Stephens will deliver the opening address, "Finding Balance: Reflective Practice & the Profession." Dr. Bell will conclude the conference with "Collections Are for Collisions: Let's Design It Into the Library Experience."
Dr. Stephens is Assistant Professor in the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University in California. He designs and conducts the online postgraduate course, The Hyperlinked Library, focused on the powerful emerging trends, tools and processes driving change in library and information communities. He has delivered keynote addresses throughout the United States and internationally on topics related to creative and open uses of technology to support and drive library services and learning.
Since 2010, Dr. Stephens has written the monthly column "Office Hours" for Library Journal, exploring the issues, ideas, and emerging trends in library and information science education. He also publishes the website and blog, Tame the Web.
Dr. Stephens' professional writing has appeared in Public Libraries, Library Journal, American Libraries, Computers in Libraries, Library Media Connection, OCLC’s NextSpace, Serials Review, Internet Reference Services Quarterly, and ALA’s TechSource blog. He served on the editorial board of Reference and Users Services Quarterly and currently serves on the board of Internet Reference Services Quarterly.
Dr. Stephens received his BA and MLIS degrees from Indiana University, and his PhD from Dominican University. In 2004, he was awarded an IMLS fellowship to begin an interdisciplinary information science doctoral program at the University of North Texas, Denton, an Amigos member.
Dr. Bell is Associate University Librarian for Research & Instructional Services, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, PA. He delivered the keynote address at the 2011 Amigos Member Conference, "Mobilizing Libraries, Designing Experiences." He served as President of the Association of College & Research Libraries for 2012-13.
Dr Bell writes and speaks frequently on topics such as information retrieval, library and learning technologies, and academic librarianship. As an adjunct professor at the Drexel University College of Information Science and Technology, Dr. Bell teaches courses on online searching, academic librarianship, and business information resources. He created Steven Bell's Keeping Up Web Site and The Kept-Up Academic Librarian to promote current awareness skills and resources and help academic librarians keep up with the latest developments in higher education.
He blogs at ACRLog, Designing Better Libraries, which promotes design thinking and user experience skills for librarians, and From the Bell Tower, his weekly column for Library Journal Academic Newswire on the intersection between higher education and libraries. He is co-author of the book Academic Librarianship by Design, an in-depth discussion of blended librarianship and how it integrates with design thinking that provides examples and profiles of blended librarianship in practice.
Registration for the 2014 Amigos Member Conference will open soon. Conference information will be posted as it becomes available, so check the Amigos website regularly.