A 6-week MOOC, Blockchain & Decentralization for the Information Industries, scheduled from March 11 – April 21, and the ALA Future Series publication, Blockchain, are two of the most recent outcomes of an 18-month investigation conducted by Drs. Sandy Hirsh and Sue Alman, San Jose State University iSchool. The project, funded by IMLS, resulted in a Library 2.0 online conference, Blockchain National Forum, website and blog development, and numerous presentations and webinars. To date there are no concrete examples of blockchain applications in libraries, but there are plenty of ideas on the ways that blockchain technology might be used. The participants in the Blockchain National Forum and the chapter authors in the ALA book have proposed ideas for use cases. They have also identified key legal, security, and standards issues that the profession must address in the development and implementation of blockchain projects. We are now gathering ideas and seeking funding to develop 1-2 micro-projects that would test blockchain applications.

In this webinar you will learn about the resources that are available from the website and conferences, and you will hear about the micro-projects that have been suggested including ILL vouchers, community based collections, and a universal library card. In turn we ask that you identify potential blockchain applications that can be explored in our next grant. We hope that in the next few months there will be case studies enabling us to evaluate the trends and usage in libraries. Consider the possibilities that would enable you and your library to develop a blockchain micro-project!

Speakers : Dr. Sue Alman and Dr. Sandra Hirsh
Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)
Location: https://www.sla.org/learn/webinars/