Dear Colleagues:As we gather for ASIS 2000 we stand at an exciting crossroads in the evolution of information science
and technology. Over the past several decades, ASIS and its members have played a key leadership role in developing new and better ways to collect, organize and disseminate information. That groundbreaking work helped
to lay the foundation for today's Internet revolution, which is radically changing the way we work, study, and live.
But we can't rest on our laurels. It is entirely appropriate that ASIS has taken steps
to change its name to the Association for Information Science and Technology. The Internet poses a wide array of new challenges and opportunities, both for information professionals and society as a whole. In
this new age, ASIS is committed to expanding its role in information science and technology education and research and serving as a bridge between all information professionals and an increasingly information-conscious
society.
This year's conference theme "Knowledge Innovations: Celebrating Our Heritage, Designing Our Future," reflects this unique time in our history. It will be a chance to celebrate our rich background
and decades of accomplishment. But, equally important, it will be an opportunity for us to look forward to explore how we can best use the first principles of information science to guide our work in the century ahead
and to help society realize the full potential of the Internet revolution.
I am looking forward to seeing you during the conference and working with you as we design a future worthy of our great
heritage.
Eugene Garfield, Ph.D.
ASIS President
