These lines from a poem by William Blake, written over 200 years ago were mystical in their time but today seem prescient.  Digital media from the web to gaming and from digital asset management to data mining are transforming our institutions and our society. The challenge, indeed the demand, to make authoritative Canadian content easily available online touches all the information professions and opens extraordinary opportunities to engage new audiences.  And, in this new land, the virtual world, the broad public seeks access across institutional lines.  Dr. Wilson will reflect on these issues, drawing on his experience in libraries, archives, museums and now with the Stratford Institute for Digital Media.

Dr. Ian E. Wilson is the Founding Director, and current Executive Director of the University of Waterloo’s Stratford Institute for Digital Media.  He has just completed a two year term as President of the International Council on Archives, and served as National Archivist of Canada, 1999 to 2004, and then as head of the newly amalgamated Library and Archives Canada.  Dr. Wilson retired in 2009 from that post and received the unusual honour of being named Librarian and Archivist of Canada Emeritus.  Prior to that he served as Archivist of Ontario from 1986 until 1999.

Dr. Wilson’s career spans many areas, including archival and information management, university teaching and government service. He has worked diligently to make archives accessible and interesting to a wide range of audiences. While helping to safeguard the integrity of archival records and library services, he has encouraged public involvement and outreach. He has published extensively on history, archives, heritage and information management and has lectured nationally and internationally. He holds three honorary doctorates, is a Member of the Order of Canada, and was appointed Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France. He is also a fellow of both the Association of Canadian Archivists and the Society of American Archivists.

Nina Simon is an independent exhibit designer who has been described as a “museum visionary” by Smithsonian Magazine. She is the principal of Museum 2.0, a design firm that works with cultural institutions worldwide on innovative projects that invite visitors to engage as collaborators and active participants. Nina is the author of The Participatory Museum (2010) and the popular Museum 2.0 blog.  Previously, Nina served as curator at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, CA, and was the Experience Development Specialist at the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Simon's Keynote Address will will focus very specifically on how nontraditional forms of programming can attract new visitors and change both their lives and the lives of the staff who work with them.

As former President and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum,William Thorsell  led the museum's Renaissance ROM project from 2000 to its final completion in 2010. This major project saw the construction or renovation of more than 350,000 squarefeet of gallery space, education facilities, and public amenities, and included renovation of several significant heritage buildings and the construction of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. Plans included the creation of twenty-seven new galleries consistent with the ROM's joint mandates of World Cultures and Natural History.

Prior to his appointment at the ROM, Thorsell served as Editor-in-Chief of The Globe and Mail for 10 years, where he led the newspaper through a complete redesign. During his tenure, The Globe's staff of 320 won significant awards for design, journalistic excellence, public service and marketing. As a member of The Globe's editorial board between 1984 and 2000, Mr. Thorsell specialized in national politics, law and constitution, economics and culture.

Mr. Thorsell lives in Toronto and in the Township of Mulmur in Dufferin County, Ontario, and continues to write as an occasional contributor to The Globe and Mail.

Dr. Victor Rabinovitch is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, which is responsible for Canada’s largest museum (the Canadian Museum of Civilization) and the national museum of military history (the Canadian War Museum). During his ten years of cultural leadership in this position, the Museums have dramatically expanded their range of public exhibitions, their audiences and their research collections.

Previously, Dr. Rabinovitch served as an Assistant Deputy Minister in various federal departments, such as Canada’s Old Age Security Pension Program, and was responsible for international relations at Fisheries and Oceans, as well as cultural policies and programs at the Department of Canadian Heritage, notably in broadcasting, publishing, copyright and museums. 

Before joining the public service, Dr. Rabinovitch was the National Secretary for Health and Safety with the Canadian Labour Congress. He is currently a Fellow of the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University, Chairman of the Friends of the International Council for Canadian Studies and a board member of the City of Gatineau’s Economic Development Corporation.

Dr. Rabinovitch was named CEO of the Year in the para-public sector by the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de la Capitale nationale in 2005. He received the Award of Merit from the Association for Canadian Studies in October 2006 for his outstanding contribution and that of the Canadian Museum of Civilization to the dissemination of knowledge of Canada’s history. He is a frequent speaker and writer on cultural policy, identity and heritage issues for Canadians and for international audiences.