iConference 2023

“Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose” 

The more things change, the more they remain the same.
- 19th century French epigram
 

This 19th century French epigram is widely used as shorthand to refer to the complexity and inherent contradictions of change. Superficially, things may look different, but are they really? What has changed, what has remained?

The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to change the ways we work, communicate with others, and interact with information. The 2023 iConference will be an opportunity to reflect on the “new normal”: the new systems that were set up to communicate virtually during the pandemic and their lasting impact, the practices that have remained/will remain virtual after the end of lockdowns and travel restrictions, and the cases where face-to-face exchanges and access to physical documents remain important.

The conference program will itself be a reflection of the theme, as it incorporates activities in both virtual and physical locations as the new normal for many conferences. 

The 2023 Call for Participation will be circulated in spring of 2022.

A presentation of the iSchools since 2005, iConference 2023 will be the 18th conference in our annual series.

Out of respect for evolving world health and travel circumstance, we project holding our 2023 conference in two parts:

1) a research program that is held online and open to all, and

2) a smaller gathering in Barcelona, Spain, for select meetings and presentations.

Our global research program will include the usual thought-provoking papers, posters, interactive sessions and colloquia/symposia that participants have come to expect from the iConference. In addition, while English remains the primary language for submission, we are currently exploring the possibility of introducing papers tracks in Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese. A special track on Information Sustainability is also in development.