Oxford, 5-7 December 2005

There are many frontiers in sight in today’s information society. Many are not directly related to forests and trees, but will nevertheless define and shape the way we create and use information in future in this subject area, which matters to an increasingly diverse cross-section of society. So in this conference we want to explore, in workshop format, what those frontiers are, how they will impact the way we work, and how we should prepare to cross them. A panel of speakers drawn from both the forestry and wider communities will outline the key frontiers in four thematic areas: global needs for forest-related information; information needed for development; new publishing paradigms; and the impacts of changing technologies. Delegates will add examples from their own experience, in the form of short papers, posters or informal debate; then in group discussions attempt to prioritise those issues which need action by the information community – data providers, publishers, libraries etc. These findings will be synthesised in plenary sessions so by the end of the conference we have a ‘task list’ which the sponsoring organisations can use in future planning – in the case of the Oxford Forest Information Service, giving us a good idea of how to set off on our second century!
The conference will not be all hard work! The Conference Banquet will celebrate 100 year’s of Oxford’s service to the forestry community, and we hope many former alumni will join us. A lighthearted lunchtime session will look back over the achievements – and failures – of the past century and an accompanying exhibition will remind us of how we used to be. And by the end of the meeting, we hope to have some better idea of where we are going!
If information on forests and trees matters to you, you matter to us! Book now to secure your place and help us plan a better future - details on www.plantlib.ox.ac.uk/forestry.  Interested but can’t make it? Then please get in touch and share with us your ‘frontiers’ so we can include them in the discussion and ensure we are tackling real issues which matter to real people! E-mail the conference secretary, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., with your comments. We look forward to hearing from you!