Ken Chad Consulting Ltd

What is Open Source? Why use it and who benefits. Ken delivered the keynote at the UK e-information Group (UKeiG) annual seminar on 16 June 2010

Disrupting libraries: the potential for new services. Ken spoke at the IFLA Satellite conference in Florence in August and then at the  2009 Charleston conference in November. His presentation, looked at how the ‘disruptive innovation’ model developed by Clayton Christensen et al applies to the library market and how libraries themselves can use this analysis to develop new ‘disruptive’ products and services.

Open Source Software in libraries: We co-organised and Ken spoke at the ‘Breaking the Barriers’ conference in May 2009

Selecting and successfully implementing library management systems: Ken Chad presented at this CILIP course in January and October 2009  in London 

Return on library investment: Presented at Internet Librarian International, London October 2008. The growth and maturation of the web and its associated technologies have driven changes in business models and user behaviours. It is not clear what role “conventional” libraries will play in a reconfigured information economy. This is a period of disruptive change and libraries need to look carefully at how to get the best return on their technology investment.

Making a difference: Open Source and Libraries: Workshops at the CILIP COFHE/UC&R conference 22^nd June 2008

How can public libraries compete? What is the competition? How can libraries make best use of their special assets. Presentation to the CILIP Wales conference in 2008

‘The changing face of library automation and open source solutions’ : A ‘breakout session’ at the UKSG (UK Serials Group) Conference April 7-9 2008.

‘The new ‘Networked Information Economy’: and its impact on university library services. Ken spoke at the 2008 Libraries @Cambridge conference on 10th January 2008.

‘The Impact of 2.0’: Internet Librarian International, October 2007. Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 are local manifestations of much deeper, technology driven changes in the Information economy.

‘Changing business models…’addressed the impact of new technology and business models on copyright and IPR, and in enabling free and low cost commercial ‘library’ services that are competing with established academic library services. Gregynog Colloquium. June 11th-15th 2007.

E-Books and E-Content: Conference at University College London. 8th May 2007. Ken looked at how global free and low cost commercial “library” services will change the business model of libraries. — ‘A very well delivered and engaging presentation with some challenging ideas.…’ John Akeroyd, Chair Ebooks and EContent 2007.  

‘Web 2.0 + libraries =?’: Ken discussed the changing technology and business context, the poor online presence of most libraries (the ‘OPAC sucks’ debate) and shows how the domain could work together (public and commercial) to ‘share innovation’. He demonstrates how a ‘Platform’ approach can be used and what its characteristics are. Presentation at the Library and Information Show (LIS) in April 2006.

Some of Ken’s presentations can be found on Slideshare.