NEWS For Immediate Release March 25, 2013

Contact: Mary Mackay

CHICAGO - The revolutionary ways in which technology has transformed our culture have also transformed and continue to transform libraries. Bestselling author of “You Are Not a Gadget,” the father of virtual reality and one of the most influential thinkers of our time, Jaron Lanier has drawn on his expertise and experience as a computer scientist, musician and digital media pioneer to predict these changes for decades. Lanier kicks off the Auditorium Speaker Series from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference on Saturday, June 29.

Lanier will speak about his visionary reckoning with the effects network technologies have had on our economy, asserting that the rise of digital networks led our economy into recession and decimated the middle class—an argument laid out in his new book, “Who Owns the Future?” Now, as technology flattens more and more industries—from media to medicine to manufacturing—we are facing even greater challenges to employment and personal wealth, challenges that affect libraries and librarians in many ways. Lanier charts an alternative to allowing technology to own our future, outlining a path toward a new information economy that will stabilize the middle class and allow it to grow, making the point that he considers it time for ordinary people to be rewarded for what they do and share on the web.

The ideas and questions in “Who Owns the Future?”are insightful and provocative for everyone who lives a part of their lives online—in other words, every ALA Annual Conference attendee.

Lanier’s appearance at 2013 ALA Annual Conference is sponsored by Simon Schuster.

2013 ALA Annual Conference Exhibition. Transforming our libraries, ourselves.

Register and book housing now for 2013 ALA Annual Conference Exhibition.

Get an Annual Conference overview and resources to show how you’ll be more valuable to your institution after Annual Conference at “Making your case to attend.”

Ways to stay in touch, get updates, and join the conversations include alaannual.org; Twitter: #ala2013; the Facebook Event; and the Pinterest page.

To comment, share, or see related resources and images, go here.