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Rolf Hapel among the 'game-changing' speakers at OCLC conference

Rolf Hapel
Rolf Hapel

Rolf Hapel, the University of Washington Information School’s Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, was among the featured speakers at the 2018 OCLC Americas Regional Council Conference Oct. 25 in Chicago.

This year’s conference program focused on how to apply a “game-changing” approach in several key areas, including technology and innovation; spaces and resources; analytics and data; and public purpose.

Hapel has extensive experience with such topics from his time as director of citizens’ services and libraries in Aarhus, Denmark, where he oversaw development of the city’s acclaimed library, Dokk1. Hapel’s OCLC talk touched upon the knowledge and experience he gained in Aarhus and the possibilities he sees for public libraries’ future roles. At Dokk1, library spaces and services were developed in cooperation with citizens and stakeholders, along with researchers and other experts.

Hapel’s presentation included a discussion of the role libraries will play in the development of smart cities. He also discussed the more than 130 partnerships Dokk1 has formed since its completion in 2015.