Every day leading to the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, the OIF Blog will be featuring a special program, event, or opportunity awaiting attendees. Today’s feature:

Intellectual Freedom Round Table program, “New Technologies:  The Impact on Government Transparency”

Saturday, June 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Morial Convention Center, Rooms 288-290

Are you interested in government transparency, its effect on libraries, and how changes in technology affect how we share information? Do you love pirates? The Intellectual Freedom Round Table presents a thought-provoking program featuring Rick Falkvinge, founder of Sweden’s Pirate Party, and moderated by Loida Garcia-Febo, IFRT chair. Mr. Falkvinge will speak about how the evolution of information-sharing tools has impacted government transparency. Please join us for this provocative discussion on Saturday, June 25 from 1:30 — 3:30 pm in the Morial Convention Center, Room 288-290.

Rick Falkvinge is the founder of the first Pirate Party and a campaigner for next-generation civil liberties and sensible information policy. In particular, he stresses how the copyright industries work in collusion with Big Brother hawks to erode or eliminate the parts of Internet that guarantee our civil liberties. On this platform, one of privacy and digital rights, his party became the largest in the below-30 demographic in the 2009 European Elections. When not doing politics or exploring technical subjects in detail, Mr. Falkvinge can usually be seen cooking, sampling a scotch whisky, or riding a fast motorcycle.

Loida Garcia-Febo is the Coordinator of Special Services at Queens Library in New York. Prior to this, she managed services for new Americans and special populations for Queens Library. She received the 2010 Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award and was named a Mover & Shaker by Library Journal, and an Outstanding Woman by Impremedia and El Diario/ La Prensa. Loida is the Immediate Past President of REFORMA. Currently, in addition to serving as IFRT Chair, she is Chair of ALA Membership Meetings Committee and Secretary of IFLA’s Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee, a Core Activity of IFLA. Loida also works with IFLA’s New Professionals Special Interest Group which she co-established in 2004. Loida was recently elected to ALA Council.

For more information on Rick Falkvinge and the Pirate Party, please visit http://falkvinge.net.